THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


• 


Ell  Eboatb 


%ife  on  the  %ake 


to  "«bc  Scat  «I«b" 


•f 

©liver  Optic 


«L  A.  DONOHUE   &   CO. 

4O7-429  DEARBORN  STBEET. 
CHICAGO. 


HARKAWAY 
SERIES  OF  BOOKS 

BY  BRACEBRIDGE  HEMING. 


Price,  75  Cents  per  Volume. 

NO.  TITLE. 

1  Jack  Harkaway's  School  Days. 

2  Jack  Harkaway  After  School  Days. 

3  Jack  Harkaway  Afloat  and  Ashore. 

4  Jack  Harkaway  at  Oxford,  Part  1. 

5  Jack  Harkaway  at  Oxford,  Part  2. 

6  Jack  Harkaway  Among  the  Brigands,  Part  1. 

7  Jack  Harkaway  Among  the  Brigands,  Part  2 

8  Jack  Harkaway's   Adventures   Around   the 

World. 

9  Jack  Harkaway  in  America  and  Cuba. 

10  Jack  Harkaway's  Adventures  in  China. 

1 1  Jack  Harkaway's  Adventures  in  Greece, 

Part  1. 

12  Jack  Harkaway's  Adventures  in  Greece, 

Part  2. 

13  Jack  Harkaway's  Adventures  in  Australia. 

14  Jack  Harkaway  and  His  Boy  Tinker,  Part  1. 

15  Jack  Harkaway  and  His  Boy  Tinker,  Part  2. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers 

or  DONOHUE  BROTHERS.  4oj-429  Dearborn  St., 
CHICAGO. 


PS 


MY   NEPHEW, 
CHARLES   HENRY  POP1, 

THIS    £OOK 
It  AFFECTIONATELY 


1643558 


PREFACE. 

••  ALL  ABOARD  "  was  written  to  gratify  the  reason 
able  curiosity  ©f  the  readers  of  "  THE  BOAT  CLUB  "  to 
know  what  occurred  at  Wood  Lake  during  the  second 
season  ;  and,  though  it  is  a  sequel,  it  has  no  direct 
connection  with  its  predecessor.  The  Introduction,  in 
the  first  chapter,  contains  a  brief  synopsis  of  the  prin 
cipal  events  of  the  first  season  ;  so  that  those  who  have 
not  read  "  The  Boat  Club,"  will  lalv^  under  no  disad 
vantage  on  that  account. 

The  story  of  each  book  is  entirely  distinct  from  that 
of  the  other.  As  the  interest  of  the  first  centers  in 
Tony  Weston,  so  that  of  the  second  does  in  Charles 
Hardy.  I  have  tried  to  make  the  boys  believe  that  the 
path  of  truth  and  rectitude  is  not  only  the  safest,  but 
the  pleasantest  path  ;  and  the  experience  of  Charles 
with  the  "  Rovers  "  illustrates  and  supports  the  position. 

Perhaps  some  of  the  older  readers  of  these  books  will 
think  that,  in  providing  the  boys  at  Wood  Lake  with 
a  whole  fleet  of  boats,  with  bands  of  music,  with  club 
rooms,  libraries,  and  apparatus,  I  have  furnished  them 
with  very  magnificent  recreations  ;  and  that  I  might 
as  well  have  told  a  "  fairy  tale  "  while  I  was  about  it. 
The  only  excuse  I  can  offer  for  this  extravagance  is,  that 
it  would  have  been  a  pity  to  spoil  a  splendid  ideal, 
when  it  could  be  actualized  by  a  single  stroke  of  the 
pen  ;  besides,  I  believe  that  nothing  is  too  good  for 
good  boys,  especially  when  it  is  *>aid  for  out  of  the 
pocket  of  a  millionaire. 

The  author,  grateful  to  his  young  friends  for  the  kind 
reception  given  to  "The  Boat  Club,"  hopes  that  "All 
Aboard "  will  not  only  please  them,  but  make  them 
wiser  and  better. 

WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS. 

25, 1855. 


CONTENTS. 


PACK 

L  Introduction 9 

II.  The  New  Member 14 

III.  AllAboard! 25 

IV.  The  Fraternal  Hug 35 

V.  Up  the  River , .  44 

VI.  Hurrah  for  Tonyl 53 

VII.  Commodore  Frank  Sedley 62 

VIII.  The  Race 70 

IX.  Little  Paul 79 

X.  A  Unanimous  Vote 88 

XI.  Better  to  Give  than  Receive 97 

XII.  First  of  May 104 

XIII.  The  Lighthouse 114 

XIV.  The  Conspiracy I2C 

XV.  The  "Rovers" 131 

XVI.  The  Camp  on  the  Island 139 

XVII.  The  Escape 149 

XVIII.  Wreck  of  the  Butterfly 158 

XIX.  The  Cruise  of  the  Fleet 166 

XX.  The  Hospitalities  of  Oaklawn 175 

XXL  Conclusion i8c 


CHAPTER  t 

INTRODUCTION. 

IT  can  hardly  be  supposed  that  all  the  boys  who 
take  up  this  book  have  read  the  Boat  Club  ;  there 
fore  it  becomes  necessary,  before  the  old  friends 
of  the  club  are  permitted  to  reunite  with  them, 
to  introduce  whatever  new  friends  may  be  wait 
ing  to  join  them  in  the  sports  of  the  second  season 
at  Wood  Lake.  However  wearisome  such  a  pres 
entation  may  be  to  those  who  are  already  ac 
quainted,  my  young  friends  will  all  allow  that  it 
is  nothing- more  than  civility  and  good  manners. 

Frank  Sedley  is  the  only  son  of  Captain  Sedley, 
a  retired  shipmaster,  of  lofty  and  liberal  views, 
and  of  the  most  estimable  character.  He  is  not 
what  some  people  would  call  an  ' '  old  fogy,"  and 
likes  to  have  the  boys  enjoy  themselves  in  every 
thing  that  is  reasonable  and  proper  ;  but  not  to 
the  detriment  of  their  manners  or  morals,  or  to 
the  neglect  of  their  usual  duties. 

Having  been  a  sailor  all  his  life,  he  has  none 
of  that  fear  of  boats  and  deep  water  which  often 
haunts  the  minds  of  fond  parents,  and  has  pur 
chased  a  beautiful  club  boat  for  the  use  of  his  soa 
and  other  boys  who  live  in  the  vicinity  of  Wood 
Lake. 

Some  fathers  and  mothers  may  think  this  was 

9 


10  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

a  very  foolish  act  on  the  part  of  Captain  Sedley ; 
that  the  amusement  he  had  chosen  for  his  son 
was  too  dangerous  in  itself,  and  too  likely  to 
create  in  him  a  taste  for  aquatic  pursuits  that  may 
one  day  lead  him  to  be  a  sailor,  which  some 
tender  mothers  regard  as  "  a  dreadful  thing,"  as, 
indeed,  it  is,  under  some  circumstances. 

But  it  must  be  remembered  that  Captain  Sedley 
had  been  a  sailor  himself ;  that  he  had  followed 
the  seas  from  early  youth  ;  and  that  he  had  made 
his  fortune  and  earned  his  reputation  as  a  wise, 
good,  and  respectable  man,  on  the  sea.  So,  of 
course,  he  could  not  sympathize  with  the  general 
opinion  that  a  ship  must  necessarily  be  a  "  sink 
of  iniquity,"  a  school  of  vice,  and  that  nothing 
good  can  be  expected  of  a  boy  who  is  sent  to 
sea.  He  believes  that  the  man  will  grow  out  of 
the  boy  ;  and  to  his  parental  duty  he  applies  the 
apostolic  maxim,  "Whatsoever  a  man  soweth, 
that  shall  he  also  reap." 

The  club  boat  and  the  boat  club,  as  means  of 
instruction  and  discipline,  as  well  as  of  amuse 
ment,  were  suggested  by  an  accidental  occur 
rence.  The  "  Bunkers  of  Rippleton,"  a  set  of 
idle  and  dissolute  boys,  had  constructed  a  rude 
raft,  upon  which  they  paddled  about  on  the  lake, 
and  appeared  to  enjoy  themselves  very  much. 
Captain  Sedley,  who  had  forbidden  his  son  to 
venture  upon  the  lake  on  the  raft,  or  even  in  a 
boat,  without  permission,  overheard  Charles 
Hardy,  the  intimate  friend  of  Frank,  remark  that 
the  "Bunkers  "  had  a  much  better  time  than  they 
had,  and  that  boys  who  did  not  obey  their 
parents  often  enjoyed  themselves  more  than  those 
who  did. 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  XI 

A  few  days  after,  the  boys  discovered  the  club 
boat,  the  light  and  graceful  Zephyr,  resting  like 
a  fairy  shell  upon  the  lake,  and  in  its  use  the 
argument  of  Charles  was  effectually  refuted.  A 
club  was  formed  of  the  boys  in  the  neighbor 
hood,  and  under  the  instruction  of  Uncle  Ben,  an 
old  sailor  who  lived  with  Captain  Sedtey,  soon 
became  very  expert  in  the  management  of  the 
boat.  A  building  was  erected  for  the  use  of  the 
association,  in  which,  besides  the  boat-house, 
was  a  club  room  containing  a  library,  and  fur 
nished  with  conveniences  for  holding  meetings 
for  mutual  instruction  and  recreation.  A  con 
stitution  for  the  government  of  the  club  was 
adopted,  in  which  the  object  of  the  association 
was  declared  to  be  "the  instruction  and  amuse 
ment  of  the  members,  and  the  acquiring  of  good 
morals,  good  manners,  and  good  habits  in 
general."  It  defined  and  prohibited  a  great  many 
vices  and  bad  habits  common  among  boys,  so 
that  the  tendency  of  the  organization  was  to 
make  them  better,  wiser,  and  happier. 

Their  experience  upon  the  lake,  while  the  in 
fluence  of  the  association  stimulated  them  to  the 
strict  performance  of  their  ordinary  duties,  was 
both  varied  and  useful.  Inasmuch  as  it  reduced 
their  recreation  to  a  system,  the  laws  of  the  club 
acting  as  a  salutary  check  upon  the  waywarojness 
of  youth,  it  afforded  an  excellent  discipline  for 
the  mind  and  heart,  as  well  as  for  the  muscles. 

Among  the  members  of  the  club  was  an  honest, 
noble-hearted  youth,  the  son  of  a  poor  widow,  by 
the  name  of  Tony  Weston.  In  an  affray  upon 
Center  Island,  Tony  had  taken  the  part  of  Frank 
Sedley  against  Tim  Bunker,  and  had  thus  obtained 


12  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

the  ill  will  of  the  leader  of  the  "  Bunkers,"  and  it 
accused  of  stealing  a  wallet,  which  is  afterwards 
proved  to  have  been  taken  by  the  "Bunker" 
himself.  The  theft  is  proved  upon  the  graceless 
scamp,  and  he  is  sent  to  the  house  of  correction, 
while  Tony  is  borne  in  triumph  by  the  club  to 
his  home. 

Near  the  close  of  the  story,  Tony's  brother,  who 
has  long  been  mourned  as  dead,  returns  home 
from  California,  with  a  large  fortune  in  his  pos 
session.  The  brother,  George  Weston,  builds  a 
fine  house  for  his  mother,  and,  impelled  by  a 
warm  admiration  for  Tony's  noble  character, 
purchases  a  splendid  club  boat  for  him,  of  (he 
size  and  model  of  the  Zephyr,  which  is  named 
the  Butterfly. 

T»ny  is  a  boy  whom  all  my  readers  will  lik^ 
and  though  he  is  really  no  better  boy  than  Frank 
Sedley,  the  humble  circumstances  of  his  mother 
before  George  returned  required  a  great  deal  of 
sacrifice  on  his  part,  and  called  into  action  a 
great  many  noble  traits  of  character.  His  life 
was  a  struggle,  and  his  character  a  triumph  over 
the  perils  to  which  poverty  exposed  him. 

His  experience  seemed  to  exemplify  the  truths 
ov  Christianity.  He  could  forgive  his  enemy,  as 
when,  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life,  he  plunged  into 
the  lake  and  rescued  Tim  Bunker  from  a  watery- 
grave,  though  Tim  was  even  then  laboring  to 
ruin  him.  He  loved  to  sacrifice  his  own  comfort 
to  that  of  others  and  found  his  greatest  pleasure 
in  making  others  happy.  He  and  Frank  are  the 
unconscious  exemplars  of  the  boat  club — the 
"  men  of  character  and  influence  "  in  their  embryo 
worki. 


LIFE   ON  THE   LAKE.  Bg 

Charles  Hardy  is  a  boy  of  another  stamp — one 
who  does  things  "to  be  seen  of  men."  He  is 
sometimes  selfish  and  ambitious  ;  though  the 
beneficent  influence  of  the  organization  is  work 
ing-  miracles  in  the  transformation  of  his  char 
acter. 

The  Butterfly  was  launched  in  the  month  of 
April.  The  liberality  of  George  Weston  had  pro 
vided  for  her  a  boat-house,  similar  to  that  of  the 
Zephyr,  and,  like  that,  furnished  with  a  club  room 
and  library,  and  all  the  means  for  promoting  the 
objects  of  the  organization. 

And  now,  with  my  old  friends  refreshed  in 
memory  by  this  review  of  the  first  season,  and 
my  new  ones  put  in  possession  of  all  that  is 
necessary  to  a  proper  understanding  of  the  situa 
tion  of  the  boat  club,  we  are  ready  to  proceed 
with  our  story. 


U  ALL   ABOARD,  OK 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE  NEW    MEMBER. 

"  ORDER  !  "  said  Frank  Sedley,  as  he  seated 
himself  in  the  arm-chair,  at  the  head  of  the  table 
in  the  club  room. 

At  a  meeting  the  preceding  week,  Frank  had 
again  been  chosen  coxswain  of  the  club  for  the 
first  official  term.  This  had  been  done,  not  only 
in  compliment  to  the  noble  boy  to  whose  father 
the  members  were  indebted  for  the  privileges 
they  enjoyed,  but  in  anticipation  of  an  exciting 
time  on  the  lake,  in  a  proposed  race  with  the 
Butterfly.  Frank  was  acknowledged  to  be  the 
most  skilful  boatman  among  them,  and  under  his 
direction  they  expected  to  accomplish  all  that 
they  and  the  Zephyr  could  possibly  attain.  They 
had  already  learned  that  mere  muscle  was  not  all 
that  was  required  to  insure  their  success.  Skill, 
forethought,  and  the  ability  to  take  advantage  of 
favoring  circumstances,  were  discovered  to  be 
even  more  desirable  than  great  power. 

"Order  !"  repeated  Frank,  rapping  smartly  on 
the  table. 

The  members  suspended  their  conversation, 
and  all  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  president.  The 
affairs  of  the  club,  in  connection  with  the  Butter 
fly,  had  been  freely  discussed  for  several  weeks, 
and  everything  had  been  arranged  tor  tiie  opeu- 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  15 

ing  of  the  "  summer  campaign,"  as  Charles  Hardy 
rather  facetiously  called  it. 

"  There  are  two  questions  to  be  submitted  for 
the  action  of  the  club  at  this  meeting."  continued 
Frank,  with  more  than  his  usual  gravity.  "They 
are  questions  of  momentous  consequence,  and  I 
have  felt  the  need  of  counsel  from  our  director  ; 
but  my  father  declines  giving  me  any  advice,  and 
says  he  prefers  that  we  should  discuss  the  ques 
tions  independently  ;  though,  as  you  all  know,  if 

our  final  action  is  wrong,  he  will — he  will " 

"Veto  it,"  added  Fred  Harper. 
"Yes.  he  will  not  permit  us  to  do  a  wrong, 
though  he  wants  us  to  think  for  ourselves,  and 
do  the  best  we  can." 

"  Precisely  so  ;  he  wants "  Charles  Hardy 

begun. 

"Order!"  said  Frank,  with  gentle  firmness. 
"The  first  question  is  this  :  Tim  Bunker,  who  has 
recently  been  discharged  from  the  house  of  cor 
rection,  has  applied  to  be  admitted  as  a  member 
of  the  club,  in  place  of  Tony  Weston,  resigned. 
Shall  he  be  admitted  ?  " 

"Mr.  President,  I  move  that  he  be  not  ad 
mitted,"  said  Charles. 

"  Is  the  motion  seconded  ? " 
There  was  no  response.     The  members  all  felt 
that  it  was  a  very  delicate  matter,  and  that  it  re 
quired  careful  deliberation. 

"The  motion  is  not  seconded,  and,  of  course, 
cannot  be  entertained,"  continued  the  president. 

"I  move  that  he  be  admitted,"  said  Fred  Har 
per. 

"Second  the  motion,"  added  William  Bright. 
Charles  Hardy  felt  a  little  nettled,  and  his  first 


l6  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

impulse  was,  to  rise  and  express  his  astonishment, 
as  Squire  Flutter  had  done  in  the  "  March  meet 
ing,"  at  the  motion  of  his  friend  on  the  other  side 
of  the  table  :  but  the  impulsive  youth  had  learned 
quite  recently  that  a  second  thought  is  oftentimes 
much  better  than  a  first,  and  he  reserved  the  ex 
pression  of  his  surprise  till  a  later  stage  of  the  de 
bate. 

As  no  one  seemed  disposed  to  open  the  dis 
cussion,  Frank  requested  Fred  Harper  to  take  the 
chair,  while  he  temporarily  assumed  the  position 
of  one  of  the  disputants. 

"Mr.  Chairman,"  said  he,  "I  rise  to  offer  a 
few  remarks  in  favor  of  the  motion  which  is  now 
before  the  club.  Perhaps  I  cannot  better  intro 
duce  my  own  views  upon  the  subject  than  by  re 
lating  the  substance  of  the  conversation  that  oc 
curred  when  Tim  applied  to  me  for  admission  to 
the  club.  He  said  that  he  had  had  a  hard  time 
of  it  in  the  house  of  correction  ;  but  he  hoped  his 
long  confinement  had  done  him  good.  He  had 
firmly  resolved  to  be  a  good  boy.  '  But,'  said  he, 
'  what  can  I  do  ?  If  I  go  with  the  fellows  I  used 
to  associate  with,  how  can  I  keep  my  resolution  ? 
I  know  I  have  been  a  very  bad  boy,  and  I  want 
to  do  what  is  right.'  I  told  him  that  our 
were  very  strict ;  that  no  fellow  was  allowe-1  to 
swear  or  to  use  bad  language  of  any  kind  :  and 
that  every  member  was  required  to  keen  straight 
himself,  and  help  keep  the  others  straight.  He 
would  agree  to  all  this,  would  sign  the  constitu 
tion,  and  my  father  and  the  club  would  soon  see 
that  he  meant  all  he  said.  I  confess  that  1  felt 
for  him.  What  he  said  about  keeping  company 
With  the  '  Bunkers  ' — I  suppose  we  must  drop  that 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  17 

name  now — was  true.  He  could  not  be  a  good 
fellow  with  such  as  they  are.  Now  it  won't  do 
any  harm  to  try  him,  and  he  may  be  saved  from 
the  error  of  his  ways.  As  it  is,  he  has  got  a  hard 
name,  and  people  will  shun  him  :  and,  being  dis 
couraged,  he  may  plunge  deeper  into  vice  than 
ever.  This  is  about  all  I  have  to  say." 

Frank  resumed  the  chair,  and  several  of  the 
members,  perceiving  the  force  of  the  president's 
reasoning,  expressed  themselves  in  favor  of  ad 
mitting  Tim ;  when  Charles  Hardy  ros^  and 
"plumed  himself  for  a  speech." 

"  Mr.  President :  I  confess  my  surprise  at  the 
direction  this  debate  has  taken.  There's  a  des 
tiny  that  shapes  our  ends " 

"A  what?  "  asked  Fred  Harper,  with  a  roguish 
smile. 

"  I  beg  the  member  on  the  other  side  will  not 
interrupt  me,"  replied  Charles,  with  offended  dig 
nity.  "  I  quote  the  line  as  John  Adams  used  it, 
in  his  celebrated  speech,  '  Sink  or  swim. ' " 

"Who?" 

"John  Adams." 

"  I  beg  the  member's  pardon,  but  John  Adams 
never  made  any  such  speech,"   answered  Free 
who,  it  must  be  confessed,  was  rather  too  fom, 
of  tantalizing  the  ambitious  youth. 

"  Really,  Mr.  President,  I  am  surprised  that 
the  member  should  deny  what  we  all  know. 
Why,  the  piece  is  in  our  reading  book." 

"  Daniel  Webster  put  the  speech  into  the  mouth 
of  Adams,"  added  Frank;  "and  the  patriot  is 
only  supposed  to  have  made  it." 

"It    amounts  to  the  same  thing,"   continued 
Qiarles,  with  a  slight  blush. 
I 


l8  ALL   ABOARD,   OR 

"But  your  quotation  was  not  correct,"  said 
Fred. 

"  Perhaps  the  member  will  give  me  the  correct 
reading-  of  the  passage. " 

"With  pleasure;  the  lines  are  from  Shaks- 
peare : — 

'  There's  a  Divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 
Roughhew  them  as  we  will.' 

I  fancy  the  lines  will  not  suit  the  member  now," 
continued  Fred,  as  he  cast  a  mischievous  glance 
at  the  discomfited  speech-maker. 

"  Go  on,  if  you  please,"  said  Frank  to  Charles. 

"  As  I  was  saying,  Mr.  President,  'There's  a 
Divinity  that  shapes  our  ends' " 

"You  were  not  saying  so,"  interposed  Fred. 

"  Order  !  "  said  the  chairman.      "  Proceed." 

But  Charles  Hardy  could  not  proceed.  Un 
doubtedly,  when  he  rose  to  speak,  he  had  an  idea 
in  his  head  ;  but  it  had  fled,  and  he  could  not  at 
once  recall  it.  In  vain  he  scratched  his  head, 
in  vain  he  thrust  his  hands  into  his  pockets,  as  if 
in  search  of  the  lost  idea  ;  it  would  not  come. 

"You  were  speaking  of  Tim  Bunker,"  said 
Frank,  suggestively. 

"I  was;  and  I  was  about  to  say  that — 
that " 

Some  of  the  boys  could  no  longer  suppress 
their  mirth,  and,  in  spite  of  the  vigorous  pound 
ing  which  the  chairman  bestowed  upon  the  in 
nocent  table,  in  his  attempts  to  preserve  order, 
they  had  their  laugh  out.  But  the  pleasantry  of 
the  members,  and  a  sense  of  the  awkwardness  of 
his  position,  roused  Charles  to  a  more  vigorous 
effort,  and  as  he  was  about  to  speak  of  another 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  I£ 

topic,  the  lost  idea  came  like  a  flood  of  sun 
shine. 

"  'There's  a  Divinity  that  shapes  our  ends/ 
Tim  Bunker  has  chosen  the  path  he  will  tread, 
and  does  anybody  suppose  he  will  ever  abandon 
it  ?  He  will  certainly  die  in  the  State  Prison  or 
on  the  gallows — my  father  says  so.  We  all  know 
what  his  habits  are,  and  it  is  as  easy  for  an 
Ethiopian  to  change  his  spots " 

"Skin,"  said  Fred. 

"To  change  his  skin,  as  for  such  a  fellow  to 
be  like  us.  He  will  lie,  swear, " 

"  The  chair  thinks  the  member's  remarks  are 
not  strictly  in  order,"  interposed  Frank,  who  was 
much  pained  to  hear  his  friend  use  such  violent 
language. 

He  saw  that  Charles  was  smarting  under  the 
effect*  of  the  ridicule  which  his  companions  had 
cast  upon  him,  and  that,  in  his  struggle  to  make 
a  speech,  and  thus  redeem  himself  from  the 
obloquy  of  a  failure,  he  had  permitted  his  im 
pulses  to  override  his  judgment. 

"I  forbear,  then,"  continued  the  spe-aker. 
"But  I  beg  the  club  to  consider  the  probable  con 
sequences  of  admitting  such  a  fellow  into  the 
association.  We  have  thus  far  enjoyed  a  good 
reputation,  and  we  ought  to  be  very  careful  how 
we  tamper  with  our  respectability." 

"  Ahem  !  "  said  Fred. 

"Order!" 

' '  A  good  name  is  rather  to  be  chosen  than — 
than  purple  and  fine  linen.  " 

"  Than  what !  "  exclaimed  Fred. 

-•ureat  riches,  '  added  Frank,  with  a  smile, 
and  even  he  was  forced  to  admit  "  that  the  mem- 


20  ALL  ABOARD,  Oft 

ber  was    singularly  unfortunate    in   his   quota* 

tions. " 

"  You  have  my  opinion,  gentlemen,"  said 
Charles,"  "and  I  don't  know  that  I  have  any 
thing  more  to  say  at  present ;  "  and,  much  dis 
concerted,  he  sat  down. 

But  though  cast  down,  he  was  not  destroyed  ; 
and  in  justice  to  his  companions,  it  must  be  re- 
d  that  he  had  frequently  annoyed  the  club 
by  his  attempts  to  make  speeches  more  learned 
and  ornate  than  his  capacity  would  allow.  Frank 
had  reasoned  with  him  on  his  propensity  to 
\v  off,"  but  without  effect,  so  that  he  did 
not  feel  so  much  sympathy  for  him  at  the  present 
time  as  he  would  have  felt  under  other  circum 
stances. 

••  The  question  is  still  open  for  discussion,  "said 
the  chairman. 

No  one,   however,   seemed  disposed  to  speak. 

"Question  !"  called  Fred  Harper. 

"  Question  !  "  repeated  several  others. 

•'  Are  you  ready  for  the  question  ?  "  continued 
the  chairman. 

"  Question  !  " 

"All  those  in  favor  of  admitting  Tim  Bunker 
as  a  member  of  the  club  will  signify  it  in  the 
nsual  way." 

Ten  hands  were  raised. 

"Contrary  minded." 

Charles,  feeling  that  he  was  on  the  wrong  side, 
did  not  vote  against  the  measure,  and  it  was 
declared  to  be  a  unanimous  vote. 

"The  other  matter,  requiring  the  action  of  the 
club,  relates  to  the  proposed  race  between  the 
Butterfly  and  the  Zephyr.  Several  gentlemen  of 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  21 

Rippleton  feel  a  deep  interest  in  the  two  boat 
clubs,  and  have  proposed  to  put  up  a  prize  to  be 
awarded  to  the  successful  club.  I  understand 
that  fifty  dollars  have  been  subscribed  for  this 
purpose.  The  question  is,  Shall  we  pull  for  this 
prize  ?  " 

"  When  ?"  asked  Fred. 

"The  clubs  may  choose  their  own  time." 

"  It  wouldn't  be  fair  till  the  Butterfly  has  had 
a  chance  to  practise  a  while." 

"  Of  course  not ;  the  Butterfly  may  accept  the 
proposition  or  not,  and  the  club  can  select  their 
own  time." 

"  I  move  you  that  the  offer  be  accepted,"  said 
William  Bright. 

"  Second  the  motion,"  added  James  Vincent. 

"  I  make  the  motion,  Mr.  President,  for  the 
purpose  of  bringing  the  question  properly  before 
the  club.  I  have  not  thought  enough  about  the 
matter  yet  to  decide  whether  I  am  in  favor  of  it 
or  not,"  continued  William  Bright. 

"It  is  generally  supposed  that  the  one  who 
makes  a  motion  is  in  favor  of  it ;  but  we  won't 
mind  that  now,"  said  Frank,  with  a  smile. 

"  Mr.  President,  I  must  say,  I  think  the  propo 
sition  looks  a  little  like  gambling,"  suggested 
Charles  Hardy. 

"So  I  was  thinking,"  added  a  little  fellow, 
near  the  foot  of  the  table. 

"  Suppose  we  take  an  informal  vote, "  proposed 
Charles,  who  was  determined  to  get  on  the  right 
side  this  time,  if  possible. 

So  an  informal  vote  was  taken,  and  erery 
member  voted  against  the  proposition. 

Frank  Sedley   was    surprised   at    this  result. 


•>  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

Probably  he  was  the  only  one  who  had  given  any 
earnest  thought  to  the  subject,  though  the  offer 
was  known  to  all  the  boys. 

Captain  Sedley,  who  watched  over  the  welfare 
of  the  club  with  paternal  interest,  had  endeavored, 
during  the  winter  that  was  now  past,  to  render  it 
effectual  in  developing  the  moral  and  mental 
capacities  of  the  members.  He  had  given  such 
a  direction  to  the  exercises  in  Zephyr  Hall  as  he 
thought  would  best  attain  this  end.  One  of  the 
greatest  difficulties  with  which  he  had  been 
obliged  to  contend  was  the  want  of  individuality 
in  the  boys.  Each  was  disposed  to  "pin  his 
faith  "upon  others.  They  would  not  think  for 
themselves,  and  exercise  an  independent  judg 
ment.  Like  thousands  in  the  great  world,  they 
"went  with  the  crowd;  "  thought,  acted,  voted, 
with  the  majority. 

Frank  saw  the  operation  of  this  motive  in  the 
"informal  vote  "  which  had  just  been  taken  ;  and 
he  was  tolerably  certain  that  he  could  bring  them 
all  over  to  the  other  side,  by  indicating  his  own 
preference. 

Calling  Fred  Harper  to  the  chair  again,  he 
opened  the  discussion  by  offering  a  simile,  which, 
being  a  parallel  case,  certainly  gave  the  question 
an  entirely  new  aspect 

"At  the  Rippleton  Academy  three  gold  medals 
and  three  silver  medals  are  awarded,  every  year, 
for  the  best  scholarship  and  deportment  Is  that 
gambling?" 

"  No,"  replied  half  a  dozen  voices. 

"  Well,  we  are  to  row,  in  like  manner  for  a 
prize.  We  don't  put  up  money  as  a  stake  ;  the* 
party  that  gets  beaten  does  not  lose  anything." 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  fj 

"That  makes  a  difference,"  added  Charles. 

"  But  the  prizes  in  the  Academy  are  given  to 
make  the  scholars  get  their  lessons  well — to 
stimulate  them  in  doing  their  duty,"  said  William 
Bright. 

"Very  true;  "  and  Frank  saw,  in  the  faces  of 
the  members,  that  the  current  had  again  set  in 
another  direction.  "  But  we  only  want  to  prove 
that  rowing  for  the  prize  is  not  gambling. 

"That's  all,"  said  Charles. 

"The  Agricultural  Society  offers  premiums  for 
the  best  horses,  cows,  oxen." 

"That's  to  improve  stock,"  answered  William. 
"  Boat  racing  can  only  be  for  amusement." 

"The  Horticultural  Society  gives  premiums 
for  the  prettiest  flowers,"  added  Frank;  "and 
my  father  got  one  of  them  last  summer." 

The  boys  were  staggered  again. 

"Flowers  are  cultivated  for  amusement;  at 
any  rate,  we  don't  eat  them,  or  drink  them,  or 
sleep  on  them,"  continued  Frank. 

"  Your  bed  shall  be  roses,  besprinkled  with  dew." 

added  Fred,  who  never  missed  his  joke.  "Be 
sides,  we  sleep  on  poppies.  They  are  a  sleepy 
plant,  you  know." 

"But  the  real  question,"  said  Frank,  "is, 
whether  racing  for  a  prize  will  not  excite  hard 
and  envious  feelings  in  the  members  of  the  two 
clubs.  I  hope  we  shall  think  well  of  it  before  we 
vote ;  and  for  that  purpose,  Mr.  Chairman,  I 
move  a  recess  of  half  an  hour." 

The  motion  was  carried,  and  the  boys  talked 
the  matter  over  till  the  meeting  was  called  to 
order  again. 


24  ALL   ABOARD,    OR 

"  Question  !  "  called  several  voices. 

The  vote  was  immediately  taken,  and  it  stood 
nine  in  favor  and  two  opposed  to  the  proposition. 
And  so,  on  the  part  of  the  Zephyr,  the  offer  w»s 
accepted. 

The  club  then  adjourned  for  an  excursion  on 
the  lake. 


«I 


CHAPTER  III. 

ALL   ABOARD  ! 

THE  club  had  taken  their  seats  in  the  boat, 
and  were  waiting-  the  orders  of  the  coxswain  to 
haul  her  out  of  her  berth,  when  Captain  Sedlej 
made  his  appearance. 

"  You  are  short-handed,  Frank,"  said  he,  as  he 
observed  Tony's  vacant  seat. 

"Yes,  sir;  but  we  have  elected  a  member  to 
fill  that  place,"  replied  Frank,  as  he  jumped  out 
of  the  boat,  and  hastened  to  inform  his  father  of 
what  the  club  had  done. 

The  "members  all  felt  a  deep  interest  in  the 
result  of  this  conference  ;  and  though  this  was 
the  first  excursion  of  the  season,  they  forgot  for 
the  time  the  pleasure  before  them  in  their  desire 
to  know  whether  the  "director"  would  approve 
their  action  in  relation  to  the  new  member  and 
the  prize. 

Frank  and  his  father  entered  the  club-room 
together. 

"  Now,  my  son,  what  have  you  done?  "  asked 
Captain  Sedley. 

"We  have  discussed  both  questions  to  the 
best  of  our  ability,"  replied  Frank,  with  some 
hesitation. 

*'  Well,  what  was  the  result  ? " 

"  We  have  elected  Tim  to  fill  Tony's  place." 


tO  ALL  ABOARD,  OK 

"  Indeed  ! " 

"We  have;  and  we  await  your  sanction  to 
our  doings." 

"  Did  you  think  I  would  sanction  such  a  choice 
as  that?" 

"I  didn't  know.  We  have  fairly  considered 
the  matter  ;  have  faithfully  examined  both  sides 
of  the  question.  If  we  have  done  wrong,  you 
know,  father,  that  you  have  a  veto  upon  our 
doings. " 

Captain  Sedley  smiled  at  the  matter-of-fact, 
business-like  earnestness  of  his  son.  He  felt 
quite  as  much  interest  in  the  action  of  the  boys 
as  they  did  to  learn  his  opinion  of  it. 

"  Tim  is  a  very  bad  boy,"  said  he. 

"  He  was ;  but  he  has  solemnly  promised  to 
amend,  and  become  a  good  boy/'  answered 
Frank,  warmly. 

"Not  much  dependence  can  be  placed  upon 
the  promises  of  such  boys  as  Tim." 

"But  if  no  one  encourages  him  to  become 
better,  he  will  not  be  likely  to  improve  much, 
especially  when  everybody  despises  and  shuns 
him." 

"There  is  danger  that  he  may  corrupt  the  rest 
of  the  club." 

"  He  must  obey  the  requirements  of  the  con 
stitution,  or  he  cannot  long  continue  to  be  a 
member." 

"You  are  right,  Frank  :  I  approve  your  action 
in  this  matter,  but  I  should  like  to  know  the 
grounds  upon  which  you  admitted  him." 

Frank  gave  him  a  brief  synopsis  of  the  debate, 
and  the  anxious  father  expressed  himself  well 
pleased  with  the  liberal  views  of  the  club. 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  27 

"  Men  might  be  oftener  reformed  in  the  great 
world,  if  people  would  only  give  them  a  chance 
to  be  respectable,  as  you  have  done  with  Tim," 
said  Captain  Sedley.  "  But  what  have  you  done 
about  the  prize? " 

' '  We  have  voted  to  accept  the  offer  of  the 
gentlemen,"  answered  Frank,  rather  doubtfully, 
as  he  looked  earnestly  into  the  face  of  his  father, 
to  discover  the  effect  of  his  intelligence. 

"I  hope  you  looked  on  both  sides  of  this  ques 
tion,  as  well  as  the  other." 

"We  did,  father." 

Frank  stated  the  different  opinions  that  had 
been  expressed  by  the  members  during  the  de 
bate,  and  the  fact  that  they  had  informally  given 
a  unanimous  vote  against  it.  Captain  Sedley 
was  much  amused  by  the  narration,  in  spite  of 
the  disappointment  he  felt  at  the  ill  success  of  his 
efforts  to  make  the  boys  reason  for  themselves. 

"  I  think  your  view  is  correct,  Frank  ;  though 
I  am  aware  that  many  mature  minds  would  arrive 
at  a  different  conclusion.  As  you  say,  the  envy 
and  ill  will  which  the  contest  may  excite  are  the 
evils  most  to  be  dreaded." 

"Then  you  approve  our  decision  ?  " 

"I  do." 

Frank  felt  as  happy  at  that  moment  as  though 
he  had  been  a  general  of  division,  and  had  won  a 
great  victory.  The  consciousness  of  having  ar 
rived,  unaided  by  mature  minds,  at  a  correct  con 
clusion,  was  a  triumph  in  itself.  He  had  exercised 
his  thought,  and  it  had  borne  him  to  a  right  judg 
ment.  He  was  proud  of  his  achievement,  and 
hastened  back  to  the  boat  with  the  intelligence  of 
the  approval 


28  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

"What  does  he  say?"  asked  half  a  dozen  of 
the  members. 

"  Let  us  get  off  first,  and  then  we  will  talk 
about  it,"  replied  Frank.  "  Bowman,  let  go  the 
painter ;  cast  off  the  stern  lines,  there.  Now, 
back  her — steady." 

"Tell  us  about  it,  Frank,"  said  Charles  Hardy, 
as  the  Zephyr  glided  clear  of  the  boat-house,  out 
upon  the  deep  waters  of  the  lake. 

"Ready — up!"    continued    Frank,    and   the 
eleven  oars  were  poised  perpendicularly  in  the  air. 

"Down  !  " 

The  members  had  already  begun  to  feel  the  in 
spiration  of  their  favorite  amusement,  and  there 
appeared  to  have  been  nothing  lost  by  the  season 
of  inactivity  which  had  passed  away.  They  were 
as  prompt  and  as  perfect  in  the  drill  as  though 
they  had  practised  it  every  day  during  the  winter. 
Although  it  was  a  moment  of  excitement,  there 
was  no  undue  haste  ;  every  member  seemed  to 
be  perfectly  cool. 

"  Ready— pull !" 

And  the  broad  blades  dipped  in  the  water,  and 
bent  before  the  vigorous  arms  of  the  youthful 
oarsmen. 

"Starboard  oars,  cease  rowing — back!"  con- 

.  tinued  the  coxswain,  with  admirable  dignity  and 

self-possession  ;  and  the  Zephyr,  acted  upon  by 

this  maneuver,  came  about  as    though  upon  a 

pivot,  without  going  either  backward  or  forward. 

"Starboard  oars,  steady — pull!"  and  the 
rowers  indicated  by  this  command  caught  the 
stroke,  and  the  light  bark  shot  ahead,  with  her 
wonted  speed,  in  the  direction  of  Rippleton  vil 
lage, 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  *9 

"Zephyr,  ahoy  !  "  shouted  som«  one  from  the 
shore. 

"  Tim  Bunker — ain't  it?"  asked  Charles. 

"  Yes. " 

4 '  Humph  !  he  needn't  hail  us  like  that.  I  was 
sure  your  father  would  never  permit  him  to  join 
the  club,"  continued  Charles,  who  fancied  that  he 
read  in  Frank's  expression  the  disapproval  of  his 
father. 

"You  are  in  the  wrong,  Charley." 

"Am  I?" 

"You  are  ;  my  father  cordially  approved  our 
action.  Now,  Zephyrs,  I  am  going  up  to  Flat 
Rock  to  take  him  aboard  ;  and  I  hope  every 
fellow  will  treat  him  well — just  as  though  he  had 
never  done  anything  out  of  the  way.  What  do 
you  say  ?  " 

"We  will,"  they  replied,  with  one  voice. 

"And  then,  if  he  does  not  walk  straight,  it 
will  not  be  our  fault.  Treat  him  as  though  he 
was  the  best  fellow  among  us.  Let  nothing 
tempt  us  to  forget  it." 

Frank  headed  the  boat  towards  the  rock  in  the 
grove,  and  in  a  moment  the  bow  touched  it. 

Without  waiting  for  an  invitation,  Tim  jumped 
into  the  boat,  and  took  the  vacant  seat.  Frank 
did  not  much  like  this  forwardness  :  it  was  a 
little  too  "brazen  "  to  comport  with  his  ideas  of 
true  penitence.  But  he  did  not  care  to  humble 
the  ' '  Bunker ; "  so  he  said  nothing  that  would 
wound  his  feelings. 

"We  are  glad  to  see  you,  Tim  ;  the  club  has 
this  day  elected  you  a  member,  and  our  director 
has  approved  the  vote,"  said  Frank. 

"  Has  he  ?  "  replied  Tim,  with  a  broad  grin. 


30  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

"  And,  if  you  like,  \ve  will  go  up  to  the  boat- 
he  use,  where  you  may  sign  the  constitution." 

"Yes,  I'll  sign  it,"  answered  Tim,  more  as 
though  it  would  be  conferring  a  favor  on  the  club 
than  as  a  duty  he  owed  to  his  new  friends. 

Frank  gave  the  necessary  orders  to  get  the 
boat  under  way  again.  Tim  handled  his  oar 
with  considerable  skill,  and  before  they  reached 
the  boat-house,  he  had  learned  to  time  his  stroke 
with  that  of  his  companions. 

When  they  landed,  Captain  Sedley  took  Tim 
apart  with  him,  and  very  kindly  told  him  what 
would  be  expected  of  him  in  his  new  relation, 
urging  him  to  be  true  to  his  good  resolution,  and 
assuring  him  that  he  should  never  want  for  sub 
stantial  encouragement  so  long  as  he  persevered 
in  well  doing.  Tim  hung  his  head  down  while 
he  listened  to  this  kind  advice  ;  his  answers  were 
short,  but  they  were  all  satisfactory,  so  far  as 
words  could  be  taken  as  the  index  of  his  intentions. 

Frank  then  read  the  constitution,  and  the  new 
member  listened  to  it  with  attention.  The  strin 
gent  provisions  of  the  sixth  article,  which  forbade 
swearing,  indecent  language,  and  other  boyish 
vices,  brought  a  scarcely  visible  smile  to  his  lips, 
and  excited  a  doubt  as  to  the  success  of  the  ex 
periment  in  the  mind  of  the  director. 

"Now,  Tim,  you  can  sign  it,"  said  Frank. 

"  It's  pretty  strict — ain't  it  ?  "  added  Tim,  with 
one  of  his  peculiar  grins,  as  he  took  the  pen  that 
was  handed  to  him.  "You  know  I  ain't  used  to 
being  quite  so  strained  up  as  you  fellers,  and  I 
may  kinder  break  through  afore  I  know  it." 

"If  you  do,  you  shall  be  judged  kindly  and 
charitably,"  said  Captain  Sedley. 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  £l' 

"Well,  111  sign  it." 

But  it  was  not  quite  so  easy  a  thing  for  Tim  to 
sign  ;  at  least,  to  perform  the  mechanical  part  of 
the  act,  for  he  had  been  to  school  but  little,  and 
good  penmanship  was  not  one  of  his  accomplish 
ments.  However,  he  succeeded  in  getting  over 
the  form,  though  it  would  have  puzzled  the 
secretary  to  read  it,  if  he  had  not  known  what  it 
was. 

"  Now,  Zephyrs,  Tim  is  one  of  us,"  said  Frank. 

"He  hasn't  got  any  uniform,"  suggested 
Charles. 

"  He  shall  have  one,"  replied  Captain  Sedley, 
as  he  wrote  an  order  on  Mr.  Burlap,  the  tailor, 
to  supply  him  with  a  uniform. 

' '  All  aboard  !  "  shouted  Frank.  ' '  We  will  pull 
up  the  lake,  and  see  how  the  Butterfly  gets  along. 
They  have  been  practising  for  a  fortnight,  and 
they  ought  to  be  able  to  row  pretty  well  by  this 
time."  . 

"  With  Uncle  Ben  to  show  them  how,"  added 
Fred  Harper. 

Again  the  Zephyrs  were  in  their  seats,  and  the 
boat  was  backed  out  into  the  lake.  The  flags 
were  unrolled,  and  put  in  their  places.  The 
graceful  barge  was  nicely  trimmed,  so  as  to  rest 
exactly  square  in  the  water,  and  everything  was 
ready  for  a  sharp  pull.  The  weather  was  cool, 
and  the  boys  required  some  pretty  vigorous  ex 
ercise  to  keep  them  warm. 

The  various  commands  were  given  and  ex 
ecuted  with  the  usual  precision,  only  that  Tim, 
who  was  not  thoroughly  "  broken  in,"  made 
some  blunders,  though,  considering  his  short 
aervice,  his  proficiency  was  decidedly  creditable. 


J2  ALL   ABOARD,   OR 

The  Zephyr  darted  away  like  an  arrow,  and 
the  slow,  measured,  musical  stroke  of  the  oars 
was  pleasant  and  exciting  to  the  rowers. 

"  You  haven't  told  us  about  the  other  matter  yet, 
Frank,"  said  Charles,  as  the  boat  skimmed  along 
Over  the  little  waves  of  the  lake. 

"  Let  us  know  about  it."  added  Fred. 

"  About  what  ?  "  asked  Tim  Bunker,  whose  mod 
esty  in  his  new  position  did  not  seem  to  cause  him 
much  trouble. 

"  We  are  to  have  a  race  with  the  Butterfly,  when 
Tony  gets  things  to  his  mind,"  replied  Frank. 

"  That'll  be  fun !  Are  ye  going  to  put  up  any 
thing  ?  " 

"  Put  up  anything  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  what's  going  to  be  the  stakes  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,  Tim." 

"  When  they  race  horses,  each  man  bets  on  his 
own." 

'•  We  are  not  going  to  bet ;  that  would  be  contrary 
to  the  constitution." 

'•  Would  it  ?  I  didn't  hear  nothing  about  bet 
ting." 

"  Article  second  says  that  one  of  the  objects  of 
the  association  shall  be  the  acquiring  of  good  habits 
in  general ;  and  I  am  sure  betting  is  a  very  bad 
habit." 

"  Well,  I  s'pose  it  is." 

"  But  several  gentlemen  of  Rippleton  have  sub 
scribed  fifty  dollars  as  a  prize  to  the  winner  cf  the 
race,"  added  Frank  ;  "  just  as  they  give  medals  in 
school,  you  know." 

"  Well,  of  course  you  will  win." 

« I  don't  know." 


LITIt  ON  THE  LAKE.  33 

"You  are  used  to  your  boat,  and  them  fellers 
ain't." 

"  We  can't  tell  yet ;  perhaps  the  Butterfly  will 
prove  to  be  a  faster  boat  than  the  Zephyr,  and  some 
of  Tony's  members  are  a  good  deal  larger  and 
stouter  than  ours.  I  think  the  chances  are  about 
equal." 

"  I  think  likely.  What  are  you  going  to  do  with 
the  money  if  you  win  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  we  haven't  thought  of  that  yet," 
replied  Frank,  not  particularly  pleased  with  the 
question. 

'  Divide  it  among  the  fellers,  I  s'pose." 

"  I  think  not ;  we  had  better  apply  it  to  some 
useful  purpose, — that  is,  if  we  win  it, — such  as  en 
larging  our  library,  buying  some  philosophical  instru 
ments 

"  What's  them  ? " 

"  An  air  pump,  and  other  apparatus  of  the  kind." 

Tim  did  not  comprehend  the  nature  of  the  mys 
tical  implements  any  better  than  before  ;  but  as  his 
mind  was  fixed  upon  something  else,  he  did  not  de 
mand  further  explanation. 

"  Fifty  dollars,"  said  he  ;  "  how  much  will  that 
be  apiece.  Thirteen  into  fifty ;  can  any  of  you 
fellers  cipher  that  up  in  your  heads  ?  " 

':  Three  and  eleven  thirteenths  dollars  each,"  said 
William  Bright,  who  pulled  the  next  oar  forward  of 
Tim.  "  Three  dollars  and  eighty-five  cents — isn't 
it?" 

"  Eighty-four  and  a  fraction,"  replied  Fred,  with 
schoolboy  accuracy. 

"  A  feller  could  have  a  good  time  on  that,  I'll 
bet,"  ejaculated  Tim. 


34  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

"  And  many  a  poor  man  would  like  it  to  buy 
bread  for  his  family,"  added  Frank.  "  But  there  is 
the  Butterfly !  " 

Tim  Bunker  dropped  his  oar  at  this  announcement, 
and  was  on  the  point  of  rising  to  get  a  better  view 
of  the  Zephyr's  rival,  when  the  handle  of  William 
Bright's  oar  gave  him  a  smart  rap  in  the  back. 

"  Mind  out !  "  said  Tim.  "  Don't  you  know  any 
better  than  to  hit  a  feller  in  that  way  ?  " 

"  Cease — rowing !  "  called  Frank,  as  he  saw 
Tim's  first  involuntarily  double  up,  and  his  eye  flash 
with  anger. 

"  It  was  your  fault,  Tim,  and  you  must  not  blame 
him,"  added  the  coxswain,  mildly,  but  firmly. 

"  My  fault !  "  and  Tim  added  an  expression  which 
I  cannot  put  upon  my  page. 

"  Such  language  as  that  is  contrary  to  the  consti 
tution,"  continued  Frank.  "  You  stopped  rowing 
without  orders." 

"  What  if  I  did  !  " 

"  You  should  not  have  done  so.  No  member  can 
do,  or  cease  to  do,  without  orders ;  that's  our  disci 
pline." 

Tim  cooled  off  in  a  moment,  made  a  surly  apology 
for  his  rudeness,  and  the  Zephyr  continued  on  her 
course. 


lira  ON   THE   LAKB.  35 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  FRATERNAL  HUG. 

THE  incident  which  had  just  occurred  gave 
Frank  considerable  uneasiness.  Tim  was  natu 
rally  quarrelsome,  and  his  former  mode  of  life  had 
done  nothing  \o  improve  his  disposition.  He 
had  never  been  taught  that  self-restraint  is  neces 
sary  to  preserve  social  harmony.  If  anything 
did  not  suit  him,  he  was  not  disposed  to  argue 
the  matter  in  a  conciliatory  manner,  but  to  right 
his, wrongs,  whether  real  or  imaginary,  by  phys 
ical  force.  In  this  manner  he  had  obtained  his 
reputation  as  a  "good  fighter." 

Frank  began  to  fear  that  Tim  had  come  into 
the  club  without  a  proper  understanding  of  its 
duties  and  requirements.  Though  he  had,  with 
an  ill  grace,  apologized  for  his  conduct,  he  seemed 
.to  feel  no  compunction  on  account  of  it ;  but,  on 
the  contrary,  he  every  moment  grew  more  over 
bearing  and  insolent.  He  could  not  speak  to  his 
companions  in  a  gentlemanly  manner,  as  they 
had  been  accustomed  to  be  addressed.  He  was 
coarse,  rude,  and  vulgar;  and  the  members,  who 
had  received  him  among  them  in  the  best  spirit 
possible,  began  to  feel  some  repugnance  towards 
him. 

But  what  could  be  expected  of  him  in  so  short 
ft  time  ?  They  had  no  reason  to  believe  that  a 


<5  ALL  ABOARD,   0* 

boy  who  had  always  been  a  desperado  would 
suddenly  become  a  gentle  and  kind-hearted  per 
son.  His  nature  wanted  refining,  and  such  a 
work  could  not  be  done  in  a  moment.  These 
reflections  came  to  Frank's  relief,  when  he  had 
become  well-nigh  discouraged  at  the  idea  of  re 
forming  Tim — discouraged  more  by  thinking  of 
the  vast  chasm  that  yawned  between  what  he 
was  and  what  he  ought  to  be.  Like  the  pendu 
lum  in  the  story,  he  was  crowding  the  work  of 
months  and  years  into  a  single  instant.  A  little 
sober  thought  in  the  proper  direction  set  him  right 

The  Butterfly  was  darting  out  of  "Weston 
Bay"  as  they  approached. 

"Cease — rowing!"  said  Frank.  "Now,  my 
lads,  let  us  give  them  three  rousing  cheers.  All 
up  !  One  !  " 

"  Hurrah  !  " 

"Two." 

«  Hurrah  ! " 

"Three." 

"Hurrah!" 

And  then  the  Zephyrs  clapped  their  hands,  long 
and  loudly,  and  this  was  the  greeting  which  the 
old  club  gave  to  the  new  one.  The  compliment 
was  heartily  returned  by  the  Butterfly,  and  then 
the  cheers  were  repeated  again  and  again. 
Every  member  seemed  to  glow  with  kindly  feel 
ing  towards  the  others.  Even  Tim  Bunker  for 
the  time  laid  aside  his  morose  look,  and  joined 
in  the  expression  of  good  will  with  as  much  zeal 
as  his  companions. 

"Now  man  your  oars,  Zephyrs,''  said  Frank. 

"What  ye  going  to  do  now?  "  asked  Tim,  as 
he  grasped  his  oar  with  the  others. 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  37 

"You  shall  know  in  due  time, "replied the  cox 
swain. 

Here  was  another  thing-  which  Tim  had  yet  to 
learn— not  to  ask  questions  of  the  commander. 
It  was  a  part  of  the  discipline  of  the  club  to  obey 
without  stopping  to  argue  the  point.  Captain 
Sedley  himself  had  suggested  this  idea,  and  it  had 
been  thoroughly  carried  out  on  board  the  Zephyr. 
It  was  an  established  principle  that  "  the  cox 
swain  knew  what  he  was  about,"  and  that  he 
alone  was  responsible  for  the  guidance  and  the 
safety  of  the  boat. 

Tim  did  not  seem  to  fancy  this  kind  of  disci 
pline.  He  evidently  felt  that  he  had  been  born 
to  command,  and  not  to  obey.  But  the  consci 
ousness  that  he  was  in  the  minority  induced  him 
to  yield  whatever  convictions  he  might  have  had 
of  his  own  superiority  to  the  will  of  the  "powers 
that  be,''  and  he  followed  the  example  of  the  others. 

"Ready — -pull !  "  continued  Frank. 

He  and  Tony  had  arranged  a  little  system  of 
"fleet  maneuvers,"  to  be  carried  out  when  the 
two  boats  met. 

To  the  surprise  of  all  on  board, — for  they  were 
not  "posted  up"  in  regard  to  these  tactics, — 
Frank  put  the  Zephyr  about. 

"  Cease — rowing  !  "  said  he,  when  the  boat  was 
headed  in  the  opposite  direction. 

To  the  further  surprise  of  the  Zephyrs,  they  dis 
covered  that  the  Butterfly  had  executed  a  similar 
maneuver,  and  that  the  two  boats  lay  at  the  dis 
tance  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  apart,  the  bow 
of  one  pointing  directly  east,  and  the  other 
directly  west. 

"Ready  to  back  her!"  said   Frank,  and  the 


38  ALL   ABOARD,   OR 

boys  all  pulled  their  oar  handles  close  to  their 
breasts,  ready  at  the  word  to  take  the  reverse 
stroke. 

"  Back  her  !  " 

The  Butterfly  did  the  same  thing  exactly,  and 
the  two  boats  rapidly  approached  each  other, 
stern  first.  Tony  had  certainly  made  the  most 
of  the  time  which  had  been  allotted  to  him  for 
drilling  his  crew,  and  they  worked  together  almost 
as  well  as  the  Zephyrs,  who  were  a  little  embar 
rassed  at  each  new  movement  by  the  awkward 
ness  of  Tim  Bunker. 

"Steady — slow,"  continued  Frank,  as  the  two 
boats  came  nearer  together.  "That  will  do; 
cease — rowing.  Ready — up  !  "  and  the  twelve 
oars  gleamed  in  the  sunshine. 

The  sterns  of  the  two  boats  came  together,  and 
Frank  threw  Tony  a  line,  which  the  latter  made 
fast. 

"Ready — down  !"  said  Tony  and  Frank,  al 
most  in  the  same  breath  :  and  the  oars  were  de 
posited  in  their  places  on  the  thwarts, 

The  two  clubs  were  facing  each  other  as  they 
sat  in  their  seats,  with  the  respective  coxswains 
standing  in  the  stern  sheets. 

' '  Mr.  Coxswain  of  the  Butterfly,"  said  Frank, 
as  he  removed  his  hat,  and  gracefully  bowed  to 
Tony,  "  in  behalf  of  the  members  of  the  Zephyr 
Boat  Club,  of  which  you  were  so  long  a  cherished 
member,  I  welcome  you  and  your  club,  and  the 
beautiful  craft  in  which  you  sail,  to  these  waters. 
May  the  Zephyr  and  the  Butterfly  cruise  together 
in  entire  harmony  ;  may  no  hard  words  or  hard 
thoughts  be  called  forth  by  either,  but  may  all  be 
peace  and  good-will." 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKB.  39 

This  little  speech  was  received  with  a  burst  of 
applause  by  Tony's  club,  and  the  boats  inter 
changed  volleys  of  cheers. 

"Mr.  Coxswain  of  the  Zephyr,"  Tony  began, 
in  reply  to  his  friend's  speech,  "I  am  much 
obliged  to  you  and  your  companions  for  the  kind 
words  you  have  spoken  for  yourself  and  for  them. 
I  am  sure  there  will  never  be  any  hard  feelings 
between  us,  and  I  assure  you  if  any  fellow  in  our 
club  attempts  to  make  a  row,  we  will  turn  him 
out.  Won't  we,  fellows?" 

"Ay,  ay!  That  we  will,"  replied  the  club, 
with  one  voice. 

"If  we  get  beaten  in  a  race,  we  will  bear  our 
defeat  like  men.  Won't  we,  boys  ? " 

"That  we  will." 

Tony  wound  up  by  saying  he  was  not  much  at 
making  speeches,  but  he  was  ready  to  do  every 
thing  he  could  to  make  things  go  off  right  and 
pleasantly. 

Three  cheers  more  were  given  on  each  side, 
and  the  crews  were  ordered  into  their  seats. 

"  Starboard  oars,  ready — up  !  "  said  Frank. 

"Larboard  oars,  ready — up  !  "  said  Tony. 

"  Ready' — down  !  "was  then  given  by  one,  and 
repeated  by  the  other.  And  then,  "  Ready — 
pull  !  "  followed,  in  like  manner. 

My  reader  will  readily  perceive  that  the  effect 
of  this  maneuver  was  to  turn  the  boats  round  in 
opposite  directions,  so  that  they  came  alongside 
of  each  other,  after  a  few  strokes  of  the  oars. 

The  painter  of  the  Butterfly  was  thrown  on 
board  the  Zephyr,  and  made  fast  to  the  bow  ring. 
The  boys  were  now  all  brought  together,  and  the 
discipline  of  the  clubs  was  relaxed  so  as  to  per- 


40  ALL   ABOARD,   OH 

mit   the   members  to  enjoy  a  few   moments   of 
social  recreation. 

The  Butterfly,  as  we  have  said  in  the  introduc- 
t^on,  was  of  the  same  size  and  model  as  the 
Zephyr,  and,  except  that  the  former  was  painted 
in  gayer  colors,  to  represent  the  gaudy  tints  of 
the  butterfly,  the  two  boats  were  exact  counter 
parts  of  each  other. 

Her  crew  had  already  procured  their  uniform, 
and  wore  it  on  the  present  occasion.  It  was  a 
pair  of  white  pants,  made  "  sailor  fashion,"  with 
a  short  red  frock,  and  a  patent-leather  belt.  These 
garments,  owing  to  the  coldness  of  the  weather, 
were  worn  over  their  usual  clothes.  The  hat  was 
a  tarpaulin,  with  the  name  of  the  club  in  gilt  let 
ters  on  the  front,  and  upon  the  left  breast  of  the 
frock  was  a  butterfly,  worked  in  colors. 

The  Butterfly,  like  her  rival,  carried  an  Ameri 
can  flag  at  the  stern,  and  a  blue  silk  fly,  with  th( 
letter  "  B  "  on  it,  at  the  bow. 

"This  is  glorious,  isn't  it,  Frank  ?"  said  Tony, 
as  he  took  his  friend's  hand  and  warmly  pressed 
it. 

"First  rate  !  There  is  fun  before  us  this  season  ; 
and  if  nothing  happens  to  mar  the  harmony  which 
now  prevails,  we  shall  enjoy  ourselves  even  more 
than  we  did  last  summer." 

"Nothing  can   happen — can  there?"    replied 
Tony,  glancing  involuntarily  at  Tim  Bunker,  who 
seemed  to  be  so  amazed  at  the  good  will   that 
prevailed  around  him  as  to  be  incapable  of  say 
ing  anything. 

"I  hope  not ;  but,  Tony,  what  about  the  race; 
Has  your  club  voted  on  the  question  of  the  prize  ?  " 

"Yes." 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  41 

"That  did  you  do?" 

"What  have  you  done,  Frank  ?"  asked  Tony. 

There    was    not   the    slightest    doubt   as   to   his 
Yankee  paternity. 

"  We  voted  to  accept  the  offer." 

"  So  did  we,  though  our  members  were  so  afraid 
c.'  doing  something  wrong,  that  George  had  to 
come  into  the  meeting  and  argue  the  question 
with  them.  We  accepted  the  offer  on  condition 
that  you  did  so." 

"Then  it  is  all  arranged." 

"Yes,  except  the  time." 

"We  shall  leave  that  all  to  you." 

"We  are  ready  now,"  replied  Tony,  with  a 
smile. 

'•Name  the  day,  then." 

"  Next  Wednesday  afternoon." 

"Very  well." 

' '  Who  shall  be  the  judges  ?     We  have  chosen 
your  father  for  one." 
.  "And  we  shall  choose  Uncle  Ben  for  another." 

"  Let  us  choose  the  other  together." 

"  Agreed." 

The  two  clubs  were  then  called  to  order,  and 
Frank,  at  Tony's  request,  stated  the  business  to 
them. 

"  Please  to  nominate,"  said  he. 

"Mr.  Hyde,  the  schoolmaster,"  exclaimed  a 
dozen  voices. 

It  was  a  unanimous  vote,  and  the  judges  were 
all  elected. 

"  Now,  Tony,  let  us  have  some  fun." 

"  We  will  try  our  leet  tactics  a  little  more,  if 
you  like." 

"Solaay." 


4*  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

"We  will  go  down  the  lake  with  the  'fraternal 
hug.'" 

"The  what !  "  exclaimed  Charles  Hardy. 

"  We  call  our  present  position  the  'fraternal 
hug." 

"Hurrah    for   the   fraternal   hug!"    shouted 
Charles,  and  all  the  boys  laughed  heartily. 

"Nothing  bearish  about  it,  I  hope,"  added 
Fred  Harper. 

"We  have  no  bears,"  replied  Frank,  as  he 
ordered  out  his  starboard  oars. 

Tony  in  like  manner  got  out  his  larboard 
oars. 

"Now,  Frank,"  said  he,  "as  you  are  a  vet 
eran  in  the  service,  you  shall  be  commodore,  and 
command  the  allied  squadron." 

A  burst  of  laughter  greeted  this  sally  ;  but  Frank 
was  too  modest  to  accept  this  double  command, 
and  would  only  do  so  when  a  vote  had  been 
passed,  making  him  "commodore." 

Fenders— a  couple  of  cushions,  which  Frank, 
in  anticipation  of  this  maneuver,  had  provided — 
were  placed  between  the  two  boats  to  keep  them 
from  injuring  each  other,  and  the  order  was  given 
to  pull.  As  but  six  oars  were  pulled  in  each  boat, 
their  progress  was  not  very  rapid.  No  one,  how 
ever,  seemed  to  care  for  that.  The  joining  of 
the  two  boats  in  the  "fraternal  hug"  was  em 
blematic  of  the  union  that  subsisted  in  the  hearts 
of  their  crews,  and  all  the  members  of  each  club 
seemed  better  satisfied  with  this  symbolical  ex 
pression  of  their  feelings  than  though  they  had 
won  a  victory  over  the  other. 

When  they  came  abreast  of  the  Zephyr's  boat- 
house,  they  discovered  that  Uncle  Ben  was  on 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  43 

board  the  Sylph,  which  lay  moored  at  a  short 
distance  from  the  shore. 

Bang  !  went  the  cannon  which  the  veteran  had 
again  rigged  on  the  bow  of  the  sail-boat. 

And  as  they  passed  down  the  lake,  Uncle  Ben 
blazed  away  in  honor  of  the  fraternal  hug  between 
the  two  clubs. 


ALL  ABOARD,  Oft 


CHAPTER  V. 

UP   THE    RIVER. 

AT  the  end  of  the  lake  the  boats  separated,  after 
giving  each  other  three  hearty  cheers. 

"Where  are  you  going  now?"  asked  Tim 
Bunker. 

"  We  will  go  up  the  lake  again." 

"Suppose  we  try  a  race?"  suggested  Fred 
Harper. 

"There  will  be  no  harm  in  it,  I  suppose,"  re 
plied  Frank,  glancing  at  the  Butterfly. 

"Zephyr,  ahoy!"  shouted  Tony.  "We  will 
pull  up  together,  if  you  like." 

"  Agreed." 

The  two  boats  were  then  drawn  up  alongside 
of  each  other,  ready  to  start  when  the  word 
should  be  given. 

"Say  when  you  are  ready,"  shouted  Tony. 

The  rowers  in  each  boat  were  all  ready  to  take 
the  first  stroke. 

' '  Ready — pull !  "  said  Frank  ;  and  the  crews 
bent  to  the  work. 

"  Now  give  it  to  'em  !  "  shouted  Tim  Bunker, 
as  he  struck  out  with  his  oar. 

"Steady,  Tim,"  said  Frank.  "Be  very  care 
ful,  or  you  will  lose  the  stroke." 

"  No,  I  won't.  Put  'em  through  by  daylight !  " 
And  Tim,  without  paying  much  attention  to  the 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE,  4§ 

swaying  of  the  coxswain's  body,  by  which  his 
stroke  should  have  been  regulated,  redoubled  his 
exertions.  He  was  very  much  excited,  and  the 
next  moment  the  handle  of  his  oar  hit  the  boy  in 
front  of  him  in  the  back.  Then  the  boy  behind 
hit  him,  and  a  scene  of  confusion  immediately 
ensued.  Of  course  no  boy  could  pull  his  stroke 
except  in  unison  with  the  others  ;  so  the  whole 
were  compelled  to  cease  rowing-. 

"  We  have  lost  it,"  said  Frank,  good-naturedly. 

The  boys,  seeing  how  useless  it  was  to  attempt 
to  row  in  the  midst  of  such  confusion,  were 
obliged  to  wait  till  order  had  been  restored. 

"No,  we  hain't ;  pull  away  !"  replied  Tim,  as 
he  seized  his  oar,  and  began  to  row  with  all  his 
might. 

"Cease  rowing  !  "  said  Frank. 

"Catch  your  oars,  you  sleepies,  or  they  will 
get  in  first  !  "  exclaimed  Tim,  who  continued  to 
struggle  with  his  oar  in  defiance  of  the  order. 

He  had  already  pulled  the  boat  half  round. 

'"I  guess  the  fifty  dollars  won't  come  to  this 
crew,"  added  Tim,  contemptuously. 

"  It  certainly  will  not,  if  you  don't  obey  orders 
better  than  that,"  replied  Frank. 

"  I  don't  want  to  have  the  club  beat  so  easy  as 
that." 

"But  it  is  all  your  fault,  Tim." 

"You  lie!" 

' '  What  !  what  !  "  exclaimed  Frank.  ' '  We  can 
not  have  such  language  as  that.  If  you  don't 
conform  to  the  constitution  you  have  signed,  you 
shall  be  put  on  shore  at  the  nearest  land." 

"Well,  I  ain't  a  going  to  have  it  laid  to  me, 
when  I  hain't  done  nothing.  Didn't  I  pull  with 


46  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

all  my  might  and  main  ?  and  if  the  other  fellers 
had  done  so  too,  we  should  have  been  ahead  of 
'em  afore  this  time,"  answered  Tim,  somewhat 
tamed  by  the  threat  of  the  coxswain. 

"We  will  not  talk  about  that  until  you  say 
whether  you  intend  to  conform  to  the  rules  of 
the  club,  or  not,"  added  Frank,  firmly. 

"Of  course  I  do." 

Tim  was  still  gruff  in  his  tones  ;  but  it  was  evi 
dent  that  he  wanted  to  conform  to  the  rules,  and 
that  his  obstinacy  was  still  struggling  for  ex 
pression. 

"You  must  not  tell  the  coxswain,  or  any  other 
member,  that  he  lies,  Tim,"  continued  Frank. 

"That  was  a  slip  of  the  tongue." 

The  Bunker  tried  to  laugh  it  off,  and  declared 
that  he  was  so  used  to  that  form  of  expression  he 
could  not  leave  it  off  at  once.  This  was  regarded 
as  a  great  concession  by  all. 

"Very  well  ;  if  you  will  promise  to  do  your 
best  to  obey  the  rules,  we  will  say  no  more 
about  it." 

"  Of  course  I  will,"  replied  Tim,  with  a  laugh, 
which  was  equivalent  to  saying,  "If  any  of  you 
think  I  am  yielding  too  much,  why,  I  am  only 
joking." 

"Now,  Tim,  that  point  being  settled,  I  repeat 
that  our  mishap  was  caused  by  you,  though  we 
don't  blame  you  for  it.  You  meant  to  do  your 
best,  but  you  didn't  go  to  work  in  the  right  way." 

"What's  the  reason  I  didn't?  " 

"You  broke  up  the  stroke." 

"  The  fellers  ought  to  have  pulled  faster,  then, 
so  as  to  keep  up  with  me  ;  if  they  had,  we  should 
have  done  well  enough." 


LIFE   ON  THE   LAKE.  47 

"That  is  not  the  way.  The  coxswain  is  to 
judge  how  fast  you  may  pull  with  safety." 

"Just  as  you  like.  All  I  wanted  was  to  win 
the  race." 

"  I  understand  you  ;  but  we  can  do  nothing  if 
the  discipline  of  the  club  is  not  observed." 

"I  didn't  know  about  that." 

"  Let  us  understand  one  another  for  the  future. 
You  must  regulate  your  stroke  by  the  motion  of 
my  body.  You  are  to  see  nothing  but  me  ;  and 
whatever  happens,  you  must  obey  orders." 

"  Let's  try  it  again.  I  will  do  as  you  say,"  re 
plied  Tim,  with  a  great  deal  more  gentleness 
than  he  had  before  shown. 

"Ready — pull!"  said  Frank.  And  away 
darted  the  Zephyr  up  the  lake. 

Tim  pulled  very  steadily  now,  and  showed  a 
disposition  to  do  as  the  others  did,  and  to  obey 
orders.  Frank  was  pleased  with  the  result  of  the 
conference,  and  began  to  entertain  strong  hopes 
of  the  ultimate  reformation  of  the  Bunker. 

But  the  race  was  lost ;  the  Butterfly  was  almost 
at  the  head  of  the  lake. 

"There's  a  chance  for  the  Butterflies  to  crow 
over  us,"  said  Tim,  after  a  silence  of  several 
moments. 

"There  is  to  be  no  crowing.  If  we  had  beaten 
them,  I  should  not  have  permitted  a  word  to  be 
spoken  that  would  create  a  hard  feeling  in  the 
minds  of  any  of  them,"  replied  Frank.  "And  I 
know  that  Tony  is  exactly  of  my  mind." 

"It  is  no  great  credit  to  them  to  have  beaten 
us  under  these  circumstances,"  added  Fred. 

"  Each  club  must  be  responsible  for  its  own 
discipline.  No  excuses  are  to  be  pleaded.  Good 


48  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

order  and  good  regulations  will  prevent  such 
accidents  as  just  befell  us." 

"  That  is  what  discipline  is  for,"  said  William 
Bright. 

"  Exactly  so.  Don't  you  remember  what  Mr. 
Hyde  told  me  when  I  tried  to  excuse  myself  for 
not  having  my  sums  done  with  the  plea  that  I 
had  no  pencil?"  asked  Charles  Hardy.  "  He 
said  it  was  as  much  a  part  of  our  duty  to  be  ready 
for  our  work  as  it  was  to  do  it  after  we  were 
ready. " 

"That's  good  logic,"  put  in  Fred.  "  If  the  en 
gine  companies  did  not  keep  their  machines  in 
good  working  order,  of  course  they  would  render 
no  service  at  the  fire.  You  remember  Smith's 
factory  was  burnt  because  '  No.  2's  '  suction  hose 
leaked,  and  the  '  tub'  couldn't  be  worked." 

"That's  it ;  in  time  of  peace  prepare  for  war." 

"Where's  the  Butterfly  now  ?  "  asked  Tim,  who 
did  not  feel  much  interest  in  this  exposition  of 
duty. 

"  She  is  headed  up  to  Rippleton  River,"  replied 
Frank.  "I  hope  she  does  not  mean  to  venture 
among  the  rocks." 

Rippleton  River  was  a  stream  which  emptied 
into  the  lake  at  its  eastern  extremity.  Properly 
speaking,  Wood  Lake  was  only  a  widening  of 
this  river,  though  the  stream  was  very  narrow, 
and  discharged  itself  into  the  lake  amid  immense 
masses  of  rock. 

The  mouth  of  this  river  was  so  obstructed  by 
these  rocks,  that  Captain  Sedley  had  forbidden 
the  boys  ever  to  venture  upon  its  waters  ;  though, 
with  occasional  difficulties  in  the  navigation,  it 
was  deep  enough  and  wide  enough  to  admit  the 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  49 

passage  of  the  boat  for  several  miles.  A  wooden 
bridge  crossed  the  stream  a  little  way  above  the 
lake — an  old,  decayed  affair  which  had  frequently- 
been  complained  of  as  unsafe. 

"Tony  knows  the  place  very  well,"  said 
Charles.  "He  will  not  be  rash." 

"But  there  he  goes  right  in  amongst  the  rocks, 
and  the  Butterflies  are  pulling  with  all  their  might. 
He  is  crazy,"  add^d  Frank,  his  countenance 
exhibiting  the  depth  of  his  anxiety. 

"Let  Tony  alone;  he  knows  what  he  is 
about."  responded  Fred. 

"  Heavens  !  "  exclaimed  Frank,  suddenly,  as  he 
rose  in  his  place.  "There  has  been  an  accident 
at  the  bridge  !  I  see  a  horse  and  chaise  in  the 
river." 

Tim  dropped  his  oar,  and  was  turning  round  to 
get  a  view  of  the  object,  when  Frank  checked 
him.  So  strict  was  the  discipline  of  the  club, 
that,  notwithstanding  the  excitement  which  the 
coxswain's  announcement  tended  to  create,  not 
another  boy  ceased  rowing,  or  even  missed  his 
stroke. 

"  Keep  your  seat,"  said  Frank  to  Tim.  "Take 
your  oar." 

"I  want  to  see  what's  going  on,"  replied 
Tim. 

"Keep  your  seat,"  repeated  Frank,  authorita 
tively. 

Tim  concluded  to  obey  ;  and  without  a  word 
resumed  his  place,  and  commenced  pulling- again. 

"Tony  is  after  them  ;  if  you  obey  orders  we 
may  get  there  in  season  to  render  some  assist 
ance,"  continued  Frank.  "  Don't  balk  us  now. 
Tim." 


50  ALL  ABOARD,  Oft 

"I  won't,  Frank;  I  will  obey  all  your  orders. 

I  didn't  think  when  I  got  up,"  replied  Tim,  with 
earnestness,  and  withal  in  such  a  tone  that 
Frank's  hopes  ran  high. 

"Will  you  cross  the  rocks,  Frank?"  asked 
Charles  Hardy. 

"  Certainly." 

"  But  you  know  your  father  told  usneverto  go 
into  the  river." 

"  Circumstances  alter  cases." 

"But  it  will  be  disobedience  under  any  circum 
stances.  " 

"We  won't  argue  the  point  now,"  answered  the 
bold  coxswain,  quickening  the  movements  of  his 
body,  till  the  crew  pulled  with  their  utmost 
strength  and  speed,  and  the  Zephyr  flew  like  a 
rocket  over  the  water. 

"I  don't  like  to  go,  Frank,  and  though  I  will 
obey  orders,  I  now  protest  against  this  act  of 
disobedience,"  replied  Charles,  who  was  sure  this 
time  that  Captain  Sedley  would  commend  and 
approve  his  inflexible  love  of  obedience. 

"Pull  steady,  and  mind  your  stroke,"  added 
Frank,  whose  eye  was  fixed  upon  the  chaise  in 
the  water. 

"We  may  strike  upon  the  rocks  and  be  dashed 
to  pieces,"  suggested  Charles. 

"  If  you  are  afraid " 

"  O,  no  !  I'm  not  afraid  ;  I  was  thinking  of  the 
boat." 

"If  it  is  dashed  to  pieces  in  a  good  cause,  let 
it  be  so." 

"Good!"  ejaculated  Fred  Harper.  "That's 
the  talk  for  me  !  " 

"  The  water  in  the  lake  is  very  high,  and  I  know 


UTS  ON  THE  LAKE.  5! 

exactly  where  the  rocks  lie.  Keep  steady  ;  I  will 
put  you  through  in  safety." 

"Where  is  the  Butterfly  now,  Frank?"  asked 
William  Bright. 

"Wait  a  minute. — There  she  goes!  Hurrah! 
she  has  passed  the  reefs  safely.  They  pull  like 
heroes.  There !  Up  go  her  oars — they  are  in 
board.  There  are  a  man  and  a  woman  in  the 
water,  struggling  for  life.  The  man  is  trying  to 
save  the  woman.  The  chaise  seems  to  hang 
upon  a  rock,  and  the  horse  is  kicking  and  plung 
ing  to  cJear  himself.  Steady — pull  steady." 

"Tony  will  save  them  all,"  said  Fred. 

"Hurrah!  there  he  goes  overboard,  with  half 
a  dozen  of  his  fellows  after  him  !  There  are  six 
left  in  the  boat,  and  they  are  working  her  along 
towards  the  man  and  woman.  They  have  them 
—  they  are  safe.  Now  they  pull  the  lady  in — hah 
—  all  right  !  I  was  afraid  they  would  upset  the 
boat.  They  have  got  her  in,  and  the  man  is 
holding  on  at  the  stern.  Tony  has  got  a  rope 
round  the  horse's  neck,  and  the  fellows  are  clear 
ing  him  from  the  chaise." 

The  Zephyr  was  now  approaching  the  dangerous 
rocks,  and  Frank  was  obliged  to  turn  his  atten 
tion  to  the  steering  of  the  boat  through  the  peril 
ous  passage. 

"Steady,"  said  he,  "and  pull  strong.  All 
right ;  we  are  through.  We  are  too  late  to  do 
anything.  They  have  landed  the  man  and 
woman,  and  now  they  are  towing  the  horse 
ashore.  Tony's  a  glorious  fellow  !  He  is  worth 
his  weight  in  solid  gold  !  " 

"  Can't  we  save  the  chaise?"  asked  Tim  Buiv 

Me. 


£S  ALL  ABOARD,  OB 

"We  can  try." 

"  Hurrah  for  the  chaise  then  !  * 

"Bowman,  get  the  long  painter  ahead,*  con 
tinued  Frank. 

"Ay,  ay." 

The  coxswain  of  the  Zephyr  steered  her  towards 
the  vehicle,  which  still  hung  to  the  rock,  and,  by 
a  skilful  maneuver,  contrived  to  make  fast  the  line 
to  one  of  the  shafts  of  the  chaise. 

' '  Ready — pull  !  "  said  Frank,  as  he  passed  the 
line  over  one  of  the  thwarts. 

The  crew  pulled  with  a  will,  and  the  jerk  disen 
gaged  the  chaise,  and  they  succeeded  in  hauling1 
it  safely  to  the  shore,  and  placing  it  high  and  dr 
upon  the  rock*. 


LiFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  55 


CHAPTER  VL 

HURRAH    FOR  TONY! 

TOUT  and  his  six  companions,  who  had  been 
with  him  in  the  river,  stood  on  the  rocks  shiver 
ing  with  cold,  when  the  Zephyr's  crew  landed. 
The  rest  of  her  boys  had  been  sent  to  conduct 
the  lady  and  gentleman  to  the  nearest  house,  and 
render  them  such  assistance  as  they  might  require. 

"  You  are  a  brave  fellow,  Tony  !  "  said  Frank, 
warmly,  as  he  grasped  the  wet  hand  of  his  friend. 

"  I  am  very  wet  and  cold,  whatever  else  I  may 
be, "replied  Tony,  trying  to  laugh,  while  his  teeth 
chattered  so  that  he  could  hardly  speak. 

"You  had  better  go  home;  you  will  catch 
cold,"  continued  Frank. 

"  We  must  wait  for  the  fellows." 

"No,  you  shall  take  six  of  the  Zephyr's  crew, 
and  pull  home  as  fast  as  you  can,  and  we  will 
wait  for  the  rest." 

"We  can  do  no  more  good  here ;  so  we  may 
as  well  go.  Thank  you  for  your  offer,  Frank, 
and  I  will  accept  it.  If  you  like  I  will  take  Fred 
Harper  to  steer  down,  for  I  should  like  to  pull  an 
oar  myself  to  warm  up  with." 

"Certainly;"  and  Frank  detailed  six  of  his 
club,  including  Fred,  who  seated  themselves  in 
the  Butterfly. 


54  ALL   ABOARD,    OR 

"I  don't  know  about  those  rocks,  Tony,"  said 
Fred,  as  he  grasped  the  tiller  ropes. 

"The  water  is  so  high,  that  there  is  no  danger. 
I  will  have  an  eye  to  the  passage  when  we  get 
to  it,"  replied  Tony,  as  he  took  his  old  place  at 
the  bow  oar. 

The  Butterfly  pushed  off,  and  in  a  few  moments 
after  passed  the  dangerous  rocks  in  safety.  Her 
crew  pulled  with  energy,  and  it  is  quite  likely 
that  they  got  warm  before  they  reached  the  boat- 
house. 

It  was  some  time  before  the  rest  of  the  Butter 
fly's  crew  returned  to  the  rocks  where  they  had 
landed. 

"  Where's  Tony  ?  "  asked  one  of  them,  a  boy  of 
fourteen,  but  so  small  in  stature  that  his  com 
panions  had  nicknamed  him  "Little  Paul,"  of 
whom  we  shall  have  more  to  say  by  and  by. 

"They  have  gone  home;  we  sent  six  of  our 
fellows  with  them.  They  were  too  wet  and  cold 
to  stay  here,"  replied  Frank.  "You  can  return 
in  our  boat." 

"The  gentleman  wants  to  see  Tony  very 
much." 

"Who  is  he?" 

"  His  name  is  Walker  ;  it  would  do  your  heart 
good  to  hear  him  speak  of  Tony." 

"I  daresay;  but  Tony  is  worthy  of  all  the 
praise  that  can  be  bestowed  upon  him.  How  is 
the  lady  ?  " 

"  She  is  nicely,  and  she  thinks  Tony  is  an 
angel.  She  declares  that  a  dozen  strong  men 
could  have  done  no  more  for  them." 

"She  is  right ;  you  did  all  that  could  have  beei 
done  by  any  persons.  The  Butterfly's  first  laurel 


Lira  ON  THE  LAKE.  55 

is  a  glorious  one,  and  I  can  congratulate  you  on 
the  honors  you  have  won." 

"Thank  you,  Frank,"  said  Little  Paul,  mod 
estly.  "I  am  sorry  you  were  not  with  us  to 
share  the  honors." 

"  We  should  have  been,  if  it  hadn't  been  for 
Tim  Bunker,"  said  Charles  Hardy,  a  little  sourly. 

Tim  had  gone  with  the  Butterfly,  or  Charles 
would  not  have  dared  to  make  such  a  remark. 

"And  if  you  had  had  your  way,  we  shouldn't 
have  come  when  we  did,"  added  William  Bright, 
smartly. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Bill  ?  " 

"  Didn't  you  protest  against  passing  the  rocks." 

"I  did,  because  it  was  directly  in  opposition 
to  Captain  Sedley's  orders." 

"  Never  mind,  fellows,  interposed  Frank  ;  "  for 
my  part,  I  am  glad  the  Butterfly  had  it  all  to  her 
self.  She  has  just  come  out,  and  it  will  be  a 
feather  in  her  cap. " 

"  But  we  saved  the  chaise,"  said  Charles. 

"We  pulled  it  ashore;  it  was  safe  enough 
where  it  was.  The  Butterfly  saved  the  lives  of 
the  man  and  woman,  and  of  the  horse.  They 
would  have  drowned,  and  all  the  glory  consisted 
in  saving  them.  Tony  and  his  crew  deserve  all 
the  credit,  and  I,  for  one,  am  happy  to  accord  it 
to  them." 

"That's  just  like  you,  Frank!"  exclaimed 
Little  Paul.  "I  believe,  if  the  two  boats  had 
changed  places,  you  would  have  given  us  all  the 
credit. " 

"  You  behaved  nobly." 

' '  Just  as  you  would  have  done  if  you  had  been 
ia  Tony's  place." 


56  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

"We  will  talk  that  over  some  other  time.  We 
are  ready  to  return  when  you  are. " 

"I  suppose  there  is  nothing  more  to  be  done." 

They  were  about  to  embark,  when  they  dis 
covered  a  party  of  men  approaching  the  place, 
several  of  them  carrying  ropes  and  poles. 

"  Hold  on  ;  "  shouted  Farmer  Leeds,  to  whose 
house  the  boys  had  conducted  the  lady  and 
gentleman.  "We  want  your  boat  to  get  the 
chaise  out  of  the  river  with. " 

"  It  is  out  now,"  replied  Little  Paul. 

The  boys  waited  till  the  party  reached  the  river. 
A  clump  of  trees  had  prevented  them  from  seeing 
the  chaise  till  they  had  got  almost  to  the  shore  ; 
and,  as  Little  Paul  expressed  it  afterwards,  "they 
looked  surprised  enough,  to  see  it  high  and  dry 
upon  the  rocks." 

"  I  must  say  one  thing,  Mr  Leeds,"  began  Mr. 
Walker ;  "  and  that  is,  you  have  smart  boys  in 
this  vicinity." 

"Toler'ble,"  replied  the  farmer,  with  a  smile. 

"They  are  men  in  noble  deeds." 

"This  boating  business  turns  the  boys  into 
men  ;  and  though,  in  my  opinion,  it  would  be 
just  as  well  to  set  'em  to  work  in  the  cornfields, 
there  is  no  denying  that  it  brings  'em  out,  and 
makes  'em  smart." 

"  My  wife  would  certainly  have  been  drowned 
without  their  help." 

"I  dare  say." 

"  But  where  is  the  little  fellow  that  commanded 
the  boat  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Walker,  scrutinizing  the 
faces  of  the  boys. 

"He  has  gone  home,  sir  ;  he  was  wet  and  cold." 

"That  is  right;  I  am  glad  he  has  ;  I  shall  g* 


UP1  ON  THE  LAKE.  57 

and  see  him  by  and  by.     And  these  are  the  boys 

that  brought  the  chaise  ashore  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Little  Paul."  This  is  Frank 
Sedley,  the  coxswain  of  the  Zephyr. 

"Well,  Master  Sedley,  I  am  under  great  obliga 
tions  to  you." 

"Not  at  all  to  me,  sir.  Tony  Weston  saved 
you.  We  only  pulled  the  chaise  ashore." 

"  But  you  shall  not  be  forgotten.  The  other 
boat  is  gone,  you  say  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  Tony  Weston  is  the  coxswain  of 
the  Butterfly." 

"  And  a  noble  fellow  he  is,  100.  He  will  be  a 
great  man  one  of  these  days.  It  did  my  heart 
good  to  see  how  cool  and  collected  he  was  ;  how 
skilfully  he  managed  the  boat,  when  it  came 
down  upon  us  like  a  race  horse.  He  gave  off  his 
orders  like  a  hero,  and  they  were  obeyed  with  a 
promptness  and  precision  that  would  have  been 
creditable  to  the  crew  of  a  man-of-war,  after  a 
three  years'  cruise.  And  then,  when  he  ordered 
six  of  the  boys  to  stay  in  the  boat,  and  the  rest 
to  follow  him  into  the  water,  it  was  really  heroic. 
Over  he  went,  with  his  crew  after  him,  as  though 
they  had  been  so  many  ducks.  And  in  the 
water,  they  worked  with  as  much  coolness  and 
courage  as  though  it  had  been  their  native  ele 
ment.  I  would  give  half  my  fortune  to  be  the 
father  of  such  a  son." 

"I  would  give  all  of  mine,"  added  Farmer 
Leeds.  "You  don't  know  half  his  worth  yet. 
Bnt  there  is  nothing  for  us  to  do  here  ;  the  men 
shall  haul  your  chaise  up  to  the  house,  and  as  we 
walk  along  I  will  tell  you  about  Tony." 

"Master  Sedley,  I  shall  see  you  again  to-day 


58  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

or  to-morrow.  Tell  Tony  how  highly  I  value  his 
noble  service,  and  tell  him  I  shall  call  upon  him 
this  evening,"  said  Mr.  Walker, as  he  went  away 
with  Farmer  Leeds. 

"My  father  would  be  very  happy  to  have  you 
stop  at  his  house  while  you  remain  in  Rippleton." 
continued  Frank,  who  was  not  sure  that  the  farm 
house  would  accommodate  him. 

"As  to  that,"  interposed  Farmer  Leeds,  "I 
can't  offer  you  so  grand  a  house  as  Captain  Sed- 
ley's,  but  such  as  it  is,  you  are  welcome  to  it" 

"Thank  you,  Master  Sedley,  for  your  hospi 
table  invitation  ;  but  I  think  I  will  remain  with 
my  good  friend  here."  And  he  departed  with  the 
farmer. 

"All  aboard!"  said  Frank,  and  the  boys 
tumbled  into  the  boat,  and  grasped  their  oars. 

The  Zephyr  pushed  off,  and  her.  cheerful  crew 
pulled  merrily  down  the  river.  Frank  was  con 
scious  that  the  organization  of  the  boat  clubs  had 
been  the  means  of  accomplishing  the  good  work 
which  the  crew  of  the  Butterfly  had  just  achieved. 
He  was  aware  that  some  of  the  people  in  the 
vicinity  had  cherished  strong  objections  to  the 
clubs,  and  that  Tony  had  had  considerable  diffi 
culty  in  persuading  the  parents  of  his  crew  to 
allow  their  sons  to  join.  The  adventure  at  fhe 
bridge,  he  thought,  would  have  a  tendency  to 
reconcile  them,  and  to  elevate  and  dignify  boat 
ing.  At  any  rate  a  good  deed  had  been  done, 
and  the  parents  of  those  who  had  taken  part  in  it 
could  not  but  be  proud  of  the  laurels  their  sons 
had  earned. 

The  Zephyr,  under  Frank's  skilful  pilotage, 
passed  the  rocks  in  safety,  though,  as  they  darted 


LIFE  ON   THE    LAKE.  59 

through  the  narrow  channel,  he  could  see  their 
sharp  edges  only  a  little  way  below  the  surface 
of  the  clear  water. 

They  had  scarcely  entered  the  open  lake  before 
they  perceived  the  Sylph,  under  full  sail  with  a 
smashing  breeze,  close  aboard  of  them. 

"  Frank  1"  shouted  Captain  Sedley,  who  was 
at  the  helm,  while  Uncle  Ben  was  gazing  at  them 
with  a  very  sorrowful  face  from  the  half  deck. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir!"  replied  Frank,  as  he  laid  the 
Zephyr's  course  towards  the  sailboat. 

Though  his  father  had  only  spoken  his  name, 
there  was  something  in  the  tone  which  could  not 
be  misapprehended  ;  but  it  did  not  occur  to  him, 
he  was  so  engaged  in  thinking  of  the  incidents 
at  the  bridge,  that  he  had  disobeyed  his  father's 
command  in  passing  into  the  river. 

As  the  Zephyr  approached,  the  Sylph  luffed, 
and  came  up  into  the  wind,  to  wait  for  her.  Frank 
brought  his  boat  round  under  the  stern  of  the  sail 
boat,  and  "  lay  to  "  an  oar's  length  from  her. 

"  Frank,"  said  his  father,  sternly,  "I  am  sur 
prised  that  you  should  venture  among  those 
rocks,  when  I  have  expressly  forbidden  you  ever 
to  go  into  the  river." 

"But,  father,  there  was " 

"How  could  you  do  such  a  thing,  after  I  had 
so  carefully  warned  you — so  positively  inter 
dicted  it  ?  Suppose  your  boat  had  been  dashed 
in  pieces, "continued Captain  Sedley,  who,  though 
deeply  grieved  at  his  son's  apparent  disobedience, 
was  too  indignant  to  hear  an  excuse  ;  for  such 
he  supposed  Frank  was  about  to  offer — one  of 
those  silly,  frivolous  excuses  which  boys  some 
times  seize  upon  to  palliate  their  misconduct 


6O  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

"  I  protested  against  it !  "said  Charles  Hardy, 

rising  from  his  seat. 

"  Shut  up  !  "  exclaimed  Little  Paul,  his  cheek 
glowing  with  indignation,  as  he  pulled  Charles 
back  into  his  seat. 

"  I  went  to  save  life,  father,"  replied  Frank, 
almost  choked  by  his  emotions,  a  flood  of  tears 
springing  in  his  eyes  and  well-nigh  blinding 
him. 

"  To  save  life  !  "  said  Captain  Sedley,  touched 
by  the  reply,  and  far  more  by  Frank's  emotion. 

He  saw  that  he  had  spoken  too  quick — that  his 
son  had  not  passed  the  rocks  without  a  good  and 
sufficient  reason. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Frank,  struggling  to  master 
his  feelings  ;  and  then  he  related  all  that  had  oc 
curred  at  the  bridge  ;  how  Tony  had  saved  the 
lady  and  gentleman,  and  the  horse  ;  and  how  his 
crew  had  pulled  the  chaise  ashore. 

"  You  did  right,  Frank  ;  forgive  my  hasty 
words,"  said  Captain  Sedley,  with  deep  feeling. 

"Good,  my  hearty!"  exclaimed  Uncle  Ben, 
clapping  his  hands. 

A  heavy  load  had  been  removed  from  f '  e  mind 
of  the  veteran,  who  had  almost  come  to  believe 
that  Frank  could  do  no  wrong. 

"  Tony's  a  hero  ;  and  shiver  my  timbers,  if  he 
oughtn't  to  be  president  of  the  United  States, 
when  he's  old  enough,"  exclaimed  Uncle  Ben. 

"  He  is  a  brave  fellow.  You  have  done  well, 
both  of  you.  However  strict  our  orders  are,  no 
person  should  be  a  machine.  Orders  should  be 
obeyed  with  judgment,"  continued  Captain 
Sedley. 

'*  That'*  a  feet.    I  could  tell  a  yarn  about 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  €t 

that,**  added  Uncle  Ben.  "When  I  was  in  the 
old  Varsayles,  bound  round  the  Horn " 

"Another  time  we  will  hear  your  yarn,  Ben," 
interposed  Captain  Sedley.  "We  will  go  over 
and  see  Tony  now,  and  congratulate  him  on  the 
honors  the  Butterfly  has  won.  Haul  in  the  gib 
sheet,  Ben." 

"  Ready— pull !  "  said  Frank. 

"  Who  protested  now,  Master  Charles  Hardy1?" 
asked  Little  Paul,  as  he  good-naturedly  punched 
the  forward  youth  in  the  ribs. 

"  Circumstances  alter  cases,"  replied  Charles, 
sagely,  as  he  bent  on  his  oar. 

"  Fact !  but  they  altered  them  when  the  deed 
was  done,  not  now,  when  you  have  found  out 
that  it  was  all  right." 


6*  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 


CHAPTER  VIL 

COMMODORE    FRANK    SEDLEY. 

FOR  a  few  days  all  Rippleton  rang  with  the 
praises  of  Tony  and  his  companions.  All  the 
particulars  of  the  affair  at  the  bridge  had  been 
given  in  the  Rippleton  Mercury,  and  the  editor 
was  profuse  in  his  commendations  of  the  skill 
and  courage  of  the  Butterfly  Boat  Club;  and  he 
did  not  withhold  from  the  Zephyr  the  credit  which 
was  justly  due.  Tony  was  a  hero,  and  his  fame 
extended  for  many  miles  around. 

Mr.  Walker  and  his  lady,  who  had  been  rescued 
from  the  river,  visited  Captain  Sedley  and  the 
Weston  family  the  next  day.  I  need  not  tell  my 
young  readers  how  earnest  he  was  in  the  expres 
sion  of  his  admiration  and  gratitude.  He  was  a 
wealthy  merchant,  and  resided  in  a  neighboring 
town.  Being  as  warm-hearted  and  generous  as 
he  was  just  and  discriminating,  it  was  quite 
natural  that  he  should  give  his  feelings  expression 
in  some  substantial  token  of  his  gratitude. 

Before  he  left  Rippleton,  a  check  for  five 
hundred  dollars  was  placed  in  the  hands  of 
George  Weston,  with  directions  to  give  four 
hundred  of  it  to  the  Butterfly,  and  one  hundred 
to  the  Zephyr.  In  the  division  of  the  Butterfly's 
share,  Mr.  Walker  desired  that  one  hundred  dol 
lars  should  be  given  to  Tony,  and  twenty-five 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  63 

dollars  apiece  to  the  crew  ;  consenting,  however, 
to  let  the  whole  sum  be  common  property  if  the 
club  desired. 

This  liberality  was  certainly  munificent,  prince 
ly  ;  but  Mr.  Walker's  wealth  was  quite  suffi 
cient  to  enable  him  to  gratify  his  generous  im 
pulses.  Tony  said  he  felt  a  little  "ticklish" 
abou*  taking  it,  at  first ;  but  George  assured  him 
that  Mr.  Walker  would  feel  hurt  if  he  did  not,  and 
he  concluded  to  accept  it. 

"  But  what  shall  we  do  with  it,  George  ? "  asked 
the  young  hero,  who  was  not  a  little  embar 
rassed  by  the  possession  of  so  much  money. 

"That  is  for  you  to  decide." 

"  What  can  we  do  with  it  ?  " 

"It  will  buy  heaps  of  candy,"  suggested 
George,  with  a  smile. 

"Candy  !  "  said  Tony,  contemptuously. 

"  Yoju  can  make  a  fund  of  it  if  you  like." 

' '  What  for  ?  " 

"For  any  purpose  you  may  wish.  By  and  by 
you  may  want  money  for  something." 

"  What  shall  we  do  with  it?  " 

"  Put  it  in  the  Savings  Bank." 

"But  the  next  thing  is,  shall  we  divide  it?  or 
let  it  remain  as  the  property  of  the  club  ?  I  sup 
pose  the  fellows  will  all  do  just  as  I  do." 

"  Perhaps  the  money  would  do  the  parents  of 
some  of  them  a  great  deal  of  good." 

"  I  think  very  likely  ;  we  will  let  them  vote 
upon  it.  Here  comes  Frank.  I  wonder  wrhat 
they  are  going  to  do  with  theirs." 

"How  do  you  do,  Tony?  I  have  come  over 
to  talk  with  you  about  the  race.  Next  Wednes 
day  is  the  day,  you_knov%" 


64  ALL  ABOAJU),   OR 

"I  had  forgotten  all  about  the  race  in  th«  ex 
citement  of  the  bridge  affair." 

"  I  don't  wonder." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  your  money, 
Frank?"  asked  Tony.  "Your  club  met  last 
evening,  I  believe." 

"We  voted  to  buy  some  philosophical  appa 
ratus  with  it." 

"  Good  !     Did  Tim  Bunker  vote  for  that  ?  " 

"  He  didn't  vote  at  all.  He  wanted  the  money 
divided  ;  but  the  vote  was  unanimous  for  spend 
ing  it  as  I  said.  By  the  way,  Mr.  Walker  was 
liberal — wasn't  he?  " 

"  Princely.  He  ought  to  have  given  you  more 
and  us  less,  though." 

"No;  he  did  perfectly  right.  We  did  not  de 
serve  even  what  we  got." 

"Just  like  you  !  But  come  into  the  club  room 
— Butterfly  Hall — and  we  will  fix  things  for  the 
race." 

Frank  and  Tony  discussed  the  details  of  the 
race,  and  at  the  end  of  an  hour  everything  was 
arranged  to  the  satisfaction  of  both.  There  was 
no  difference  of  opinion  except  as  to  the  length 
of  the  race.  Tony,  thought  that  twice  up  and 
down  the  lake,  making  an  eight-mile  race,  would 
be  best  ;  but  Frank  felt  sure  that  it  was  too  long, 
and  that  it  would  tire  the  boys  too  much.  So  it 
was  finally  agreed  that  they  should  pull  only 
once  up  and  down,  making  about  four  miles. 

As  the  Butterfly  club  were  to  meet  that  evening, 
Frank  departed  earlier  than  he  otherwise  would 
have  done,  so  as  not  to  be  considered  an  intruder. 

Tony's  club  were  in  high  spirits  that  evening. 
The  praise  bestowed  upon  them  had  created  a 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  6$ 

strong  feeling  of  self-reliance  in  their  minds. 
Their  discipline  had  passed  through  a  severe 
ordeal,  and  it  was  pronounced  perfectly  satis 
factory  by  all  concerned.  They  had  clone  hard 
work,  and  done  it  well.  Their  success  was  the 
result  of  their  excellent  discipline.  It  would 
have  been  in  vain  that  they  had  as  good  a  com 
mander  as  Tony,  if  promptness  and  obedience 
had  been  wanting. 

"  Xow,  boys,"  said  Tony,  when  he  had  called 
the  meeting  to  order,  "  we  have  arranged  all  the 
details  of  the  race,  and  if  you  like,  I  will  tell 
you  about  it." 

'•Tell  us,"  said  several. 

The  chairman  proceeded  to  give  them  the  sub 
stance  of  his  conversation  with  the  coxswain  of 
the  Zephyr  ;  and  the  rules  they  had  adopted  were 
ol'  course  agreed  to  by  all  present. 

The  Butterfly  boys,  elated  with  the  results  of 
the  bridge  affair,  were  confident  that  they  should 
win  the  race.  Tony,  however,  was  not  so  san 
guine.  He  knew,  better  than  they,  how  skilful 
Frank  was  ;  and,  if  the  Zephyr  had  not  labored 
under  the  disadvantage  of  having  a  new  member, 
he  would  have  been  sure  of  being  beaten. 

"There  is  another  subject  which  comes  up  for 
consideration  to-night — I  mean  the  gift  of  Mr. 
Walker.  He  has  left  it  so  that  it  may  be  divided 
among  us,  or  held  and  used  as  common  prop 
erty,"  continued  Tony. 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other,  as  if  to  pry  into 
the  thoughts  of  their  neighbors.  There  was  a 
long  silence,  and  it  was  in  vain  that  Tony  called 
for  the  opinions  of  the  members  ;  they  did  not 
seem  to  have  any  opinions  on  the  subject 
1 


66  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

"We  will  do  just  as  you  say,  Mr.  Chairman," 
said  Little  Paul. 

"So  we  will,"  added  Henry  Brown. 

"I  shall  not  say,"  replied  Tony.  "It  is  a 
matter  for  you  to  decide.  George  says  we  can 
put  it  in  the  Savings  Bank,  if  we  don't  divide  it, 
and  keep  it  till  we  find  a  use  for  it.  Perhaps, 
though,  some  of  your  parents  may  want  it.  If 
they  do,  we  had  better  give  each  his  share." 

"  Let  us  put  it  in  the  Savings  Bank,"  said  Dick 
Chester. 

But  Henry  Brown  looked  at  Little  Paul,  whose 
father  was  a  very  poor  man,  and  had  not  been 
able  to  work  for  several  months. 

"Perhaps  we  had  better  divide  it,"  suggested 
he. 

"If  you  agree  to  divide  it,  each  member  shall 
have  a  thirteenth  part  of  the  whole  four  hundred 
dollars,"  added  Tony. 

"That  wouldn't  be  right,"  replied  Little  Paul. 
"He  gave  a  hundred  to  you  ;  and  certainly  you 
are  better  entitled  to  a  hundred  than  we  are  to  a 
penny  apiece." 

"  I  will  not  take  more  than  my  share." 

' '  We  will  only  take  what  Mr.  Walker  awarded 
us,"  said  Henry. 

"That  we  won't,"  added  several  members. 

"No  !  "  shouted  the  whole  club. 

"  But  you  shall,  my  lads,"  said  Tony,  stoutly. 
"George  and  I  have  agreed  to  that." 

"  But  the  commander  of  the  ship  ought  to  have 
a  bigger  share  than  the  crew ;  besides,  what 
could  we  have  done  without  you  ?  "  argued  Little 
Paul. 

"And  what  could  I  have  done  without  you?" 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  67 

"It  was  your  skill  and  courage,  as  the  Mercury 
says,  which  did  the  business." 

"  It  was  your  prompt  obedience  that  crowned 
our  labors  with  success.  I  tell  you,  boys,  it  is 
just  as  broad  as  it  is  long.  The  money  shall  be 
equally  divided/' 

"Then  we  won't  divide  it,''  said  Henry  Brown. 

"  Very  well  ;  I  will  agree  to  that.  We  shall  be 
equal  owners  then,"  replied  Tony,  with  a  smile 
of  triumph  ;  for  in  either  case  his  point  was 
gained. 

"But  what  shall  we  do  with  it  ?  Four  hun 
dred  dollars  is  a  heap  of  money.  What's  the  use 
of  saving  it  up' without  having  some  idea  of  what 
we  mean  to  do  with  it?  '* 

"  We  can  put  it  to  a  dozen  uses." 

"  What,  tor  instance  ?  " 

"Why,  enlarging  our  library;  buying- an  ap 
paratus,  as  the  Zephyrs  are  going  to  clo  ;  giving 
it  to  the  poor,"  replied  Tony.  "But  I  was  think 
ing  of  something  before  the  meeting.'' 

.The -boys  all  looked  at  the  chairman  with  in 
quiring  glances. 

"Out  with  it,"  said  several  of  them. 

"There  are  lots  of  fellows  round  here  who 
would  like  to  get  into  a  boat  club." 

"More  than  twenty,"  added  Little  Paul. 

"We  have  money  enough  to  buy  another 
boat." 

"  Hurrah  !  "  exclaimed  several  of  the  members, 
jumping  out  of  their  chairs  in  the  excitement  of 
the  moment.  "  Let  us  buy  another  boat !  " 

"What  shall  we  call  her?"  added  Dick  Ches 
ter. 

Several  of  the  boys   began   to  exercise   their 


68  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

minds  on  this  important  question,  without  devot 
ing  any  more  attention  to  the  propriety  or  the 
practicability  of  procuring  another  boat  That 
question  was  regarded  as  already  settled. 

"  Ay,  what  shall  we  call  her  ? "  repeated  Joseph 
Hooper. 

"  What  do  you  say  to  the  '  Lily  ? '  ** 

"The  'Water  Sprite?'" 

"The  'Go-ahead?'" 

"Name  her  after  Mr.  Walker." 

"No  ;  after  Tony  W'eston." 

' '  You  are  counting  the  chickens  before  they  are 
hatched,"  added  Tony,  laughing  heartily. 

"The — the — the  'Red  Rover/"  said  Joseph 
Hooper. 

"  That's  too  piratical,"  replied  Little  Paul. 

"I  wouldn't  say  anything  about  the  name  at 
present,"  suggested  Tony. 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  fine,  though,  to  have  three 
boats  on  the  lake?"  exclaimed  Henry. 

•''Glorious  !     A  race  with  three  boats  !  " 

"Who  would  be  coxswain  of  the  new  boat?" 

"  Fred  Harper,"  said  little  Paul.  ' '  The  fellows 
say  he  is  almost  as  good  as  Frank  Sedley." 

"If  we  had  another  boat  we  should  want  a 
commodore,"  continued  Tony.  "And  I  was 
thinking,  if  we  got  another,  that  Frank  would  be 
the  commodore,  and  command  the  fleet.  Then 
there  would  be  a  coxswain  to  each  boat  besides." 

"That  would  be  first  rate." 

"  Let  us  have  the  other  boat." 

"Hurrah  !  so  I  say." 

"  I  suppose  we  could  buy  two  six-oar  boats  for 
Our  money,"  added  Tony. 

"And  have  four  in  the  fleet?  '* 


IfPfc  OK  THE  LAKE.  69 

"Perhaps  three  four-oar  boats." 

"Five  boats  in  the  fleet!     That  would  be  a 

glorious  squadron  !  " 

The  boys  could  hardly  repress  the  delight 
which  these  air  castles  excited,  and  several  of 
them  kept  jumping  up  and  down,  they  were  so 
nervous  and  so  elated. 

"Come,  Tony,  let  us  settle  the  business,  and 
order  the  boats  at  once,"  said  Dick  Chester. 

"  We  had  better  think  a  while  of  it.  Something 
else  may  turn  up  which  will  suit  us  even  better 
than  the  fleet.  Of  course  we  must  consult  Cap 
tain  Sedley  and  George  before  we  do  anything," 
replied  Tony. 

•'They  will  be  willing." 

"Perhaps  they  will,  and  perhaps  they  won't." 

"I  know  they  will,"  said  Dick. 

"  We  will  consult  them,  at  any  rate.  It  is  nec 
essary  to  take  a  vote  concerning  the  division  of 
the  money/1 

Of  course  the  club  voted  not  to  divide  ;  and  it 
was  decided  that  the  money  should  remain  in  the 
hands  of  George  Weston  until  the  fleet  question 
should  be  settled. 

"Now,  boys,"  said  Tony,  "next  Monday  is 
town  meeting  day,  and  school  don't  keep.  We 
will  meet  at  nine  o'clock  and  practise  for  the  race, 
which  comes  off  on  Wednesday  afternoon,  at 
three  o'clock.  Let  every  fellow  be  on  hand  in 
season. 

The  club  adjourned,  and  the  boys  went  off  in 
little  parties,  discussing  the  exciting  topic  of  a 
fleet  of  five  boats,  under  the  command  of  Com 
modore  Frank  Sedley. 


ALL  ABOARD,  Oft 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

THE  RACE. 

THE  day  appointed  for  the  race  between  the 
Zephyr  and  the  Butterfly  had  arrived,  and  the 
large  number  of  people  congregated  on  the  shores 
of  Wood  Lake  testified  to  the  interest  which  was 
felt  in  the  event.  Probably  the  exciting  incident 
at  the  bridge,  which  had  been  published  in  the 
newspaper,  imparted  a  greater  degree  of  interest 
to  the  race  than  it  would  otherwise  have  pos 
sessed.  It  was  a  beautiful  afternoon,  mild  and 
pleasant  for  the  season,  which  favored  the  at 
tendance  of  the  ladies,  and  the  lake  was  lined 
with  a  row  of  cheerful  faces. 

"All  aboard!"  said  Frank,  as  he  dissolved  a 
meeting  of  the  Zephyrs,  which  he  had  called  in 
order  to  impart  whatever  hints  he  had  been  able 
to  obtain  from  his  father  and  others  in  regard  to 
their  conduct. 

Above  all,  he  had  counseled  them,  in  case  they 
were  beaten,  to  cherish  no  hard  feelings  towards 
their  rivals.  Not  a  shadow  of  envy  or  ill-will 
was  to  obscure  the  harmony  of  the  occasion. 
And  if  they  were  so  fortunate  as  to  win  the  race 
they  were  to  wear  their  honors  with  humility  ; 
and  most  especially,  they  were  not  to  utter  a 
word  which  could  create  a  hard  feeling  in  the 
minds  of  their  competitors.  Whatever  the  result, 
there  was  to  be  the  same  kindness  in  the  heart, 


JSFE   ON   THE    LAKE.  7! 

and  the  same  gentlemanly  deportment  in  the 
manners,  which  had  thus  far  characterized  the 
intercourse  of  the  two  clubs. 

"All  aboard  I" 

The  Zephyrs  were  more  quiet  and  dignified  in 
their  deportment  than  usual.  There  was  no  loud 
talk,  no  jesting  ;  even  Fred  Harper  looked  thought 
ful  and  serious.  Each  member  seemed  to  feel  the 
responsibilty  of  winning  the  race  resting  like  a 
heavy  burden  upon  his  shoulders. 

The  boat  was  hauled  out  into  the  lake,  and 
once  more  Frank  cautioned  them  to  keep  cool 
and  obey  orders. 

"Don't  look  at  the  Butterfly  after  we  get 
started,"  said  he.  "You  must  permit  me  to  keep 
watch  of  her.  Keep  both  eyes  on  me,  and  think 
only  of  having  your  stroke  perfectly  accurate, 
perfectly  in  time  with  the  others.  Now,  remem 
ber,  don't  look  at  the  Butterfly  ;  if  you  do,  we 
shall  lose  the  race.  It  would  distract  your  atten 
tion  and  add  to  your  excitement.  If  she  gets  two 
or  three  lengths  ahead  of  us,  as  I  think  she  will 
on  the  first  mile,  don't  mind  it.  Pull  your  best, 
and  leave  the  rest  with  me." 

"Ay,  ay  !  "  replied  several,  quietly. 

"Do  you  think  we  shall  win,  Frank?  "  asked 
Charles,  who  had  put  the  same  question  a 
dozen  times  before. 

"We  must  think  that  we  shall,"  replied  Frank, 
with  a  smile.  "Here  comes  the  Butterfly. 
Now,  give  her  three  cheers.  One  I  " 

"  Hurrah  1 " 

"Two!" 

"Hurrah!" 


73  ALL  ABOARD,   Oft 

"  Hurrah  !  " 

This  compliment  was  promptly  returned  by  the 
Butterfly,  as  she  came  alongside  the  Zephyr. 

"Quarter  of  three,  Frank,"  said  Tony. 

"  Time  we  were  moving  then,"  replied  Frank,  as 
he  ordered  the  oars  out,  and  the  boats  started  for 
ot  \vhere  the  Sylph,  the  judges'  boat,  had 
taken  position. 

They  pulled  with  a  very  slow  stroke,  and  not 
only  did  the  respective  crews  keep  the  most  exact 
time,  but  each  timed  its  stroke  with  the  other. 
It  was  exhibition  day  with  them,  and  they  were 
not  only  to  run  the  race,  but  to  show  off  their 
skill  to  the  best  advantage.  Hundreds  of  people, 
their  fathers  and  their  mothers,  their  sisters  and 
their  brothers,  were  observing  them  from  the 
shor*",  and  this  fact  inspired  them  to  work  with 
unusual  care. 

It  was  a  very  beautiful  sight,  those  richly 
ornamented  boats,  their  gay  colors  flashing  in  the 
bright  sunshine,  with  their  neatly  uniformed 
crews,  their  silken  flags  floating  to  the  breeze, 
and  their  light,  graceful  oars  dipping  with  me 
chanical  precision  in  the  limpid  waters.  As  they 
glided  gently  over  the  rippling  waves,  like 
phantoms,  to  the  middle  of  the  lake,  a  long 
and  deafening  shout  from  the  shore  saluted  their 
ears.  The  white  handkerchiefs  of  the  ladies 
waved  them  a  cheerful  greeting,  and  the  Ripple- 
ton  Brass  Band,  which  had  volunteered  for  the 
occasion,  struck  up  Hail  Columbia. 

"Cease — rowing! "said  Frank,  as  he  rose  hi 
his  seat 

Tony  followed  his  example,  though  this  move 
ment  had  not  b«en  laid  down  in  the  program. 


LIFE  ON  THE   LAKE.  73 

FranK  then  took  the  American  flag  which 
floated  at  the  stern,  and  Tony  did  the  same. 

"  All  up  !  "  said  he.  "Let  us  give  them  three 
cheers." 

"  Mind  the  coxswain  of  the  Zephyr,"  added 
Tony,  "and  let  them  be  all  together  and  with  a 
will." 

"Hats  off,  and  swing  them  as  you  cheer." 

The  cheers  were  given  with  all  the  vigor  which 
stout  lungs  could  impart,  and  the  flags  waved 
and  the  hats  swung. 

The  salute  was  reiterated  from  the  shore,  and 
above  the  martial  strains  of  the  band  rose  the 
deafening  hurrahs. 

"Ready — pull  !  "  and  the  boats  resumed  their 
slow  and  measured  stroke,  and  the  band  changed 
the  tune  to  the  Canadian  Boat  Song. 

When  they  reached  the  judges'  boat,  the  two 
coxswains  drew  lots  for  the  choice  of  "  position," 
and  the  Butterfly  obtained  this  advantage.  The 
two  boats  then  took  their  places,  side  by  side, 
about  two  rods  apart,  ready  to  commence  the  race. 

''Tony/' said  Frank,  rising,  "before  we  start 
I  have  a  word  to  say.  Whatever  may  be  the  re 
sult  of  the  race,  for  myself  and  my  crew,  I  pledge 
you  there  shall  be  no  hard  feeling  among  the 
Zephyrs. " 

"No,  no,  no  !  "  added  the  club,  earnestly. 

"If  you  beat,  it  shall  not  impair  our  friend 
ship  ;  there  shall  be  no  envy,  no  ill-will.  Do  you 
all  say  so,  Zephyrs  ? " 

'-Ay,  ay  !  " 

The  Butterflies  clapped  their  hands  vigorously, 
in  token  of  their  approbation  of  the  pledge,  aad 
Tony  promised  the  same  thing  for  his  club. 


74^  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

"Now  we  are  ready,"  added  Frank.  "Keep 
perfectly  cool,  and  mind  all  I  have  said.  Ready  !  " 

Uncle  Ben  stood  in  the  bow  of  the  Sylph,  with 
a  burning  slow  match  in  his  hand,  ready  to  dis 
charge  the  cannon  which  was  to  be  the  signal  for 
starting.  It  was  a  moment  of  intense  excite 
ment,  not  only  to  the  crews  of  the  boats,  but  to 
hundreds  of  spectators  on  the  shore. 

It  was  undeniably  true  that  the  Zephyrs,  in 
spite  of  the  warnings  which  Frank  had  given 
them,  were  very  much  excited,  and  various  were 
the  expedients  which  the  boys  used  to  calm  their 
agitation,  or  at  least  to  conceal  it.  But  it  was 
also  true  that  the  Butterflies  were  much  more  ex 
cited.  Discipline  and  experience  had  not  schooled 
them  in  the  art  of  "  being  mere  machines,"  and 
they  found  it  much  more  difficult  than  the  Zephyrs 
to  subdue  their  troublesome  emotions. 

The  eventful  moment  had  come.  The  oarsmen 
were  bent  forward  ready  to  strike  the  first  stroke, 
and  the  coxswains  were  leaning  back  ready  to 
time  the  movement.  Captain  Sedley  was  gazing 
intently  at  the  dial  of  his  "second  indicator/' 
prepared  to  give  Un^le  Ben  the  word  to  fire. 

"Ready,  Ben — fire  !  " 

Bang  !  went  the  cannon. 

"Pull  ! "  shouted  Frank  and  Tony  in  the  same 
breath. 

Fortunately  every  oarsman  in  both  boats  hit 
the  stroke  exactly,  and  away  leaped  the  gallant 
barks. 

As  Frank  had  deemed  it  probable,  the  Butterfly 
shot  a  length  ahead  of  her  rival  after  pulling  a 
few  strokes ;  but  though  the  noise  of  the  oars  in 
formed  his  crew  of  their  relative  positions,  not  an 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  75 

eye  was  turned  from  him,  not  a  muscle  yielded 
in  the  face  of  the  dispiriting  fact,  and  not  a  mem 
ber  quickened  his  stroke  in  order  to  retrieve  the 
lost  ground.  Even  Tim  Bunker,  who  was  sup 
posed  to  have  more  feeling  in  regard  to  the  race 
than  the  others,  maintained  an  admirable  self- 
possession.  However  much  the  hearts  of  the 
crcvv  beat  with  agitation,  they  were  outwardly 
as  cool  as  though  the  Butterfly  had  been  a  mile 
behind  them. 

It  is  true,  some  of  the  Zephyrs,  as  they  con 
tinued  to  gaze  at  Frank's  calm  and  immovable 
features,  wondered  that  he  did  not  quicken  the 
stroke  ;  but  no  one  for  an  instant  lost  confidence 
in  him.  "Fnmk  knew  what  he  was  about." 
This  was  the  suitiment  that  prevailed,  and  each 
member  looked  out  for  himself,  leaving  all  the 
rest  to  him. 

The-  Butterflies  were  quickening  their  stroke 
every  moment,  and  consequently  were  continu 
ing  to  increase  the  distance  between  the  two 
boats.  Every  muscle  was  strained  to  its  utmost 
tension.  Every  particle  of  strength  was  laid  out, 
until  Tony,  fearful  that  some  of  the  weaker  ones 
might  "make  a  slip,"  dared  require  no  more  of 
them.  But  they  were  already  more  than  two 
boats'  lengths  ahead  of  their  rival,  and  he  had 
everything  to  hope. 

Still  the  Zephyr  pulled  that  same  steady  stroke. 
As  yet  she  had  made  no  extraordinary  exertion. 
Her  crew  were  still  fresh  and  vigorous,  while 
those  of  her  rival,  though  she  was  every  moment 
gaining  upon  her,  were  taxing  their  strength  to 
the  utmost. 

They  rounded  the  stake  boat,  which  had  been 


76  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

placed  nearly  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Ripple- 
ton  River,  and  the  Butterfly  was  still  three 
lengths  ahead.  They  had  begun  upon  the  last 
two  miles  of  the  race.  Though  the  Zephyr  still 
pursued  her  former  tactics,  her  rival  was  no 
longer  able  to  gain  upon  her.  The  latter  had 
thus  far  done  her  best,  and  for  the  next  half  mile 
the  boats  maintained  the  same  relative  posi 
tions. 

Frank  was  still  unmoved,  ..nd  there  was  some 
inward  grumbling  among  his  crew.  An  expres 
sion  of  deep  anxiety  had  begun  to  supplant  the 
look  of  hope  and  confidence  they  had  worn,  and 
some  of  them  were  provoked  to  a  doubt  whether 
Frank,  in  the  generosity  of  his  nature,  was  not 
intending  to  let  Tony  bear  off  the  honors. 

"Come,  Frank,  let  her  have,  now  !  "  said  Tim, 
who  could  no  longer  restrain  his  impatience. 

"Silence!  Not  a  word!"  said  the  self-pos 
sessed  coxswain. 

It  was  in  the  "order  of  the  day"  that  no 
member  should  speak  during  the  race  ;  and  none 
did,  except  Tim,  and  he  could  easily  have  been 
pardoned  under  the  circumstances. 

Not  yet  did  Frank  quicken  the  stroke  of  the 
Zephyr,  though  at  the  end  of  the  next  half  mile 
she  was  only  two  boats'  lengths  astern  of  her 
competitor,  which  had  lost  this  distance  by  the 
exhaustion  of  her  crew.  They  had  pulled  three 
miles  with  the  expenditure  of  all  their  strength. 
They  lacked  the  power  of  endurance,  which 
could  only  be  obtained  by  long  practice.  "  It  is 
the  last  pound  that  breaks  the  camel's  back  ; " 
and  it  was  so  with  them.  With  a  little  less  exer 
tion  they  might  have  preserved  some  portion  of 


LIFB  ON   THE   LAKE.  ft 

thefr  vigor  for  the  final  struggle,  which  wa»  y«t 

to  come. 

They  had  begun  upon  the  last  mile.  The  crew 
of  the  Butterfly  were  as  confident  of  winning  the 
race  as  though  the  laurel  of  victory  had  already 
been  awarded  to  them  ;  r-.nd  though  their  backs 
ached  and  their  arms  were  nearly  numb,  a  smile 
of  triumph  rested  on  their  faces. 

"Now  for  the  tug  of  war,"  said  Frank,  in  a 
low,  subdued  tone,  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by 
all  his  crew,  but  so  gentle  as  not  to  create  any  of 
that  dangerous  excitement  which  is  sometimes 
the  ruin  of  the  best  laid  plans. 

As  he  spoke  the  motions  of  his  body  became  a 
little  quicker,  and  gradually  increased  in  rapidity 
till  the  stroke  was  as  quick  as  was  consistent 
with  perfect  precision.  The  result  of  this  greater 
expenditure  of  power  was  instantly  observed, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  next  quarter  of  a  mile  the 
boats  were  side  by  side  again. 

"They  are  beating  us!"  said  Tony,  in  a 
whisper.  "  Dip  a  little  deeper — pull  strong!  " 

The  exciting  moment  of  the  race  had  come. 
The  spectators  on  the  shore  gazed  with  breath 
less  interest  upon  the  spectacle,  unable,  though 
"Zephyr  stock  was  up,"  to  determine  the  result. 

Not  a  muscle  in  Frank's  face  moved,  and 
steadily  and  anxiously  his  crew  watched  and 
followed  his  movements. 

"Steady!"  said  he,  in  his  low.  impressive 
tone,  as  he  quickened  a  trifle  more  the  stroke  of 
the  crew. 

The  Butterflies  were  "used  up,"  incapable  of 
making  that  vigorous  effort  which  might  have 
carried  them  in  ahead  of  the  Zephyr. 


78  ALL  ABOARD,   Ofc 

"A  little  deeper,"  continued  Frank.  "Now 
for  it !  " 

As  he  spoke,  with  a  sudden  flash  of  energy  he 
drove  his  oarsmen  to  their  utmost  speed  ana 
strength,  and  the  Zephyr  shot  by  the  judges' 
boat  full  a  length  and  a  half  ahead  of  the  But 
terfly. 

' '  Cease — rowing  !  "   said  he.      ' '  Ready — up  !  " 

The  Butterfly  came  in  scarcely  an  instant  be 
hind,  and  her  oars  were  poised  in  air,  like  those 
of, her  rival. 

A  long  and  animating  shout  rang  along  the 
shore,  when  the  result  of  the  race  was  apparent, 
and  the  band  struck  up  "See  the  conquering  hero 
comes." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

LITTLE  PAUL. 

"You  have  won  the  race,  Frank,  and  I  con 
gratulate  you,"  said  Tony  Weston,  as  the  Butterfly 
came  alongside  the  Zephyr. 

"Thank  you,  Tony;  that  is  noble  and  gen 
erous,"  replied  Frank. 

"But  it  is  the  feeling  in  our  club — isn't  it,  fel 
lows  ? " 

' '  Ay,  ay,  that  it  is  !  "  shouted  Little  Paul.  < '  Let 
us  give  them  three  cheers,  to  show  the  folks  on 
shore  that  there  are  no  hard  feelings." 

The  cheers  were  given  lustily — at  least,  as 
lustily  as  the  exhausted  condition  of  the  Butterflies 
would  permit.  Each  member  of  the  defeated 
club  seemed  to  feel  it  his  duty  to  banish  even  the 
semblance  of  envy  ;  and  it  was  pleasant  to  ob 
serve  how  admirably  they  succeeded. 

I  do  not  wish  my  young  readers  to  suppose 
that  Tony's  crew  felt  no  disappointment  at  the 
result ;  only  that  there  were  no  hard  feelings,  no 
petty  jealousy.  They  had  confidently  expected 
to  win  the  race,  even  up  to  the  last  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  the  course  ;  and  to  have  that  hope  sud 
denly  dashed  down,  to  be  beaten  when  they  felt 
sure  of  being  the  victors,  was  regarded  as  no  triv 
ial  misfortune.  But  so  thoroughly  had  Tony 
schooled  them  in  the  necessity  of  keeping  down 


8o  ALL   ABOARD,   OK 

any  ill  will,  that  I  am  sure  there  was  not  a  hard 
feeling  in  the  club.  Perhaps  they  displayed  more 
disinterestedness  in  their  conduct  after  the  race 
than  they  really  felt.  If  they  did,  it  was  no  great 
harm,  for  their  motives  were  good,  and  they  were 
all  struggling  to  feel  what  their  words  and  their 
actions  expressed. 

"Zephyr,  ahoy!"  hailed  Mr.  Hyde,  from  the 
Sylph. 

' '  Ay,  ay,  sir  I  " 

"The  prize  is  ready  for  the  winner/' 

The  oars  were  dropped  into  the  water  again, 
and  the  Zephyr  pulled  up  to  the  judges'  boat. 

"You  have  won  the  prize  handsomely,  Frank, 
and  it  aifords  me  great  pleasure  to  present  it  to 
you,"  said  Mr.  Hyde,  as  he  handed  him  a  purse 
containing  the  prize.  "  After  the  noble  expres 
sions  of  kindness  on  the  part  of  your  rival,  I  am 
sure  the  award  will  awaken  no  feeling  of  exulta 
tion  in  the  minds  of  the  Zephyrs,  and  none  of 
envy  in  the  Butterflies.  I  congratulate  you  on 
your  victory." 

Frank  bowed,  and  thanked  the  schoolmaster 
for  his  hopeful  words ;  and  the  Butterflies  gave 
three  cheers  again  as  he  took  the  prize.  The 
Zepnyr  was  then  brought  alongside  her  late  rival. 

"  Starboard  oars — up  !  "  said  Frank. 

"  Larboard  oars — up  !  "  added  Tony. 

"What  now,  I  wonder?  "  queried  Fred  Harper. 

"Forward  oarsman,  step  aboard  the  Butterfly," 
continued  Frank. 

"  Forward  oarsman,  step  aboard  the  Zephyr," 
said  Tony. 

Then  the  next  member  in  each  boat  was  passed 
over  to  the  other,  and,  so  on,  till  the  whole  star- 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  8l 

board  side  of -the  Zephyr  was  manned  by  Butter 
flies,  and  the  larboard  side  of  the  Butterfly  by 
Zephyrs. 

"Ready — up!"  said  the  coxswains,   as  they 

proceeded  to  get  under  way  again. 

Thus,  with  the  two  clubs  fraternally  mingled, 
they  slowly  pulled  towards  the  nearest  shore, 
while  the  band  played  its  sweetest  strains.  The 
spectators  still  lingered  ;  and  as  the  boats  neared 
the  land,  they  were  greeted  with  repeated  cheers. 
Then,  side  by  side,  they  pulled  slowly  along  the 
shore,  within  a  few  rods  of  the  lake's  bank,  till 
they  reach  the  Butterflies'  house,  where  they  all 
landed. 

And  thus  ended  the  famous  boat  race,  over 
which  the  boys  had  been  thinking  by  day  and 
dreaming  by  night  for  several  weeks.  The  occa 
sion  had  passed  ;  and  if  it  was  productive  of  any 
evil  effects  in  the  minds  of  those  who  engaged  in 
it,  they  were  more  than  balanced  by  the  excellent 
discipline  it  afforded.  They  had  learned  to  look 
without  envy  upon  those  whom  superior  skill  or 
good  fortune  had  favored,  and  to  feel  kindly  to 
wards  those  over  whom  they  had  won  a  victory. 
It  was  a  lesson  which  they  would  all  need  in  the 
great  world,  where  many  a  race  is  run,  and  where 
the  conqueror  is  not  always  gentle  towards  the 
conquered — where  defeat  generates  ill-will,  envy, 
and  hatred. 

"Anew  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that 
ye  love  one  another,"  said  Jesus — not  only  love 
one  another  when  the  sky  is  clear,  and  the  waters 
are  smooth,  but  when  the  clouds  threaten,  and 
the  stormy  sea  lashes  with  its  fury  ;  not  only 
wbe«  the  arm  of  friendship  and  kindness  holds  us 


8t  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

up,  but  when  all  hearts  seem  cold,  when  all  hands 
are  closed,  and  all  faces  frown  upon  us.  It  was 
this  divine  command  that  the  circumstances  of 
the  boat  race  tended  to  exemplify  ;  and  I  am  sure 
that  both  the  conquerors  and  the  conquered  were 
better  prepared  for  the  duty  of  life  than  if  they 
had  had  no  such  experience. 

I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  every  boat  race  is  a 
good  thing,  most  especially  when  it  is  made  to  be 
a  gambling  speculation  by  staking  money  on  the 
result — only  that  this  one  was,  because  those  who 
conducted  it  made  it  subservient  to  the  moral 
progress  of  the  boys. 

"Well,  Frank,  1  am  glad  you  won  the  race," 
said  Tony,  with  a  smile  which  testified  to  his 
sincerity.  ' '  Fortune  favored  us  at  the  bridge,  and 
gave  us  the  opportunity  of  winning  the  honors." 

"  And  the  profits  too,  Tony.  Fifty  dollars  is 
nothing  to  us  now,"  added  Fred,  with  a  laugh. 

"Thank  you,  Tony,"  replied  Frank.  "You 
are  so  noble  that  you  almost  make  me  regret  we 
won.  But,  my  dear  fellow,  you  have  won  a 
greater  victory  in  your  own  heart.  I  can  envy 
you  the  possession  of  such  noble  feelings." 

"Pooh,  Frank!" 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  value  the  victory,  because 
it  has  been  won  over  you." 

"  We  trained  ourselves  to  feel  right  about  the 
matter  whichever  way  the  race  went." 

"Your  heart  is  so  near  right  that  you  don't 
need  much  training.  But  it  is  time  for  us  to  re 
turn  home." 

"  How  about  that  picnic  on  the  first  of  May  ? " 

"My  father  has  consented  to  it." 

"So  have  our  folks;  we  will  have  a  glorious 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  83 

time  of  it.  On  Saturday  afternoon,  if  you  say  so, 
we  will  visit  Center  Island,  and  set  the  May 
pole." 

"Agreed." 

"  But,  Frank,  school  keeps — don't  it  ?  " 

"Whew  !  does  it?" 

"It  did  last  year;  but  the  committee  have 
talked  of  giving-  us  the  day.  I  hope  they  will. 
Ask  your  father  ;  he  is  one  of  them." 

"I  will.  We  can  get  the  point  settled  before 
Saturday. " 

"  I  guess  so." 

"All  aboard!" 

The  Zephyrs  hastened  on  board,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  were  out  of  sight.  The  Butterfly  was 
hauled  into  her  berth,  everything  was  made 
"snug"  and  tidy,  and  the  boys  hastened  to  their 
several  homes.  Of  course  it  was  not  easy  for 
them  to  drive  out  of  their  minds  the  exciting 
events  of  the  day,  and  while  all  of  them,  except 
Tony,  were  sorry  they  had  lost  the  race,  they 
had  much  to  console  them.  They  had  won  a  vic 
tory  over  themselves  ;  and  the  consciousness  of 
this  triumph  compensated  for  their  disappoint 
ment.  Each  of  them,  adopting  the  sentiment  of 
their  heroic  young  leader,  thought  what  a  good 
fellow  Frank  Sedley  was,  and  tried  to  feel  glad 
that  he  had  won. 

There  was  one  of  them,  however,  who  did  not 
think  much  about  it  after  he  separated  from  his 
companions.  Other  considerations  claimed  his 
attention  ;  and  before  he  reached  his  humble 
home,  the  race  was  banished  from  his  mind.  He 
hf  d  a  sick  father,  and  the  family  had  hard  work 
t  •  get  along.  This  was  Little  Paul. 


84  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

His  mother  insisted  upon  sending  him  to  school 
while  there  was  anything  left  to  procure  the 
necessaries  of  life  ;  and  as  there  was  little  for  him 
to  do  at  home,  he  was  allowed  to  join  the  club, 
because  his  parents  knew  how  much  he  loved  the 
sports  on  the  lake,  and  that  nothing  but  good 
influences  would  be  exerted  upon  him  in  the 
»ciation. 

Paul  Munroe  was  a  good  boy,  in  every  sense  of 
the  word  ;  and  though  he  had  never  been  able  to 
do  much  for  his  parents,  they  regarded  him  none 
the  less  as  one  of  their  choicest  blessings.  As 
Tony  expressed  it,  Little  Paul's  heart  was  in  the 
place  ;  and  it  was  a  big  heart,  full  of  warm 
bio 

II  is  father  sat  in  an  easy-chair  by  the  kitchen 
is  he  entered,  and  a  smile  played  upon  his 
:>lue  lips  as  his  eyes  met  the  glance  of  his 
loving-  son. 

•  '•A\,  Paul,  did  you  win  the  race  ? "  he  asked, 
in  feeble  tones. 

' '  No,  father ;  the  Zephyrs  beat.  Frank  Sed- 
ley  rather  outgeneraled  Tony,  and  his  crew  were 
more  used  to  pulling  than  \.*e.  But  Frank  is  a 
first-rate  fellow." 

"  Isn't  Tony  ?  " 

"That  he  is  !  They  are  both  first-rate  fellows  ; 
I  don't  know  where  there  are  two  other  such 
fellows  in  the  world." 

"  You  are  right,  Paul  :  they  are  good  boys,  and 
we  shall  lie  sorry  to  take  you  away  from  them." 

Little  P:iul  looked  inquiringly  at  his  father. 
He  had  more  than  once  begged  to  be  allowed  to 
work  in  the  Rippleton  factories,  that  he  might 
earn  something  towards  supporting  the  family ; 


LIFE   ON  THE    LAKE.  85 

but  his  parents  would  never  consent  to  take  him 
away  from  school  and  confine  him  in  the  noisy, 
dusty  rooms  of  the  mills.  His  father's  words 
suggested  the  idea  that  they  had  consented  to  his 
request,  and  that  he  was  to  be  allowed  to  work 
for  a  living. 

"'Squire  Chase  nas  been  Viere  to-day,"  added 
Mr.  Munroe,  sadly. 

"  Has  he?  What  did  he  say?"  asked  Paul,  a 
shade  of  anxiety  gathering  upon  his  fine,  manly 
face. 

"We  must  leave  our  house,  my  son,"  replied 
the  father,  with  a  sigh. 

"Won't  he  wait  ?" 

"No." 

"How  did  he  act  while  he  was  here?" 

"He  was  very  harsh  and  unfeeling." 

"The  villain  !  "  exclaimed  Paul,  with  emphasis, 
as  his  cheek  reddened  with  indignation. 

"  He  is  a  hard  man,  Paul  ;  but  reproaches  are 
of  no  use.  The  note  is  due  on  the  first  of  May  ; 
I  cannot  pay  it,  so  we  must  leave  the  house." 

"Where  are  we  to  go,  father?" 

"Your  grandfather,  who  has  a  large  farm  in 
Maine,  has  written  for  me  to  come  there ;  and 
your  mother  and  I  have  decided  to  go." 

Paul  looked  sad  at  the  thought  of  leaving  the 
pleasant  scenes  of  his  early  life,  and  bidding  fare 
well  to  his  cherished  friends  ;  but  there  was  no 
help  for  it,  and  he  cheerfully  yielded  to  the  neces 
sity.  It  was  of  no  use  to  think  of  moving  the 
heart  of 'Squire  Chase — it  was  cold,  hard,  and  im 
penetrable.  He  was  a  close-fisted  lawyer,  who 
had  made  a  handsome  fortune  in  the  city  by  tak 
ing  advantage  of  the  distresses  of  others,  and  it 


86  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

was  not  likely  that  he,  having  thus  conquered  all 
the  nobler  impulses  of  his  nature,  would  have 
any  sympathy  for  Mr.  Munroe  in  his  unfortunate 
condition. 

The  poor  man  had  bought  the  little  place  he 
occupied  a  few  years  before  for  seven  hun 
dred  dollars — paying  two  hundred  down,  and 
giving  his  note,  secured  by  a  mortgage,  for  the 
rest.  The  person  of  whom  he  had  purchased 
the  place,  whose  lands  joined  it,  had  sold 
his  estate  to  'Squire  Chase,  to  whom,  also,  he  had 
transferred  the  mortgage.  The  retired  lawyer 
was  not  content  to  remain  quiet  in  his  new  home, 
and  there  repent  of  his  many  sins,  but  immedi 
ately  got  up  an  immense  land  speculation,  by 
which  he  hoped  to  build  a  village  on  his  grounds, 
and  thus  make  another  fortune. 

Mr.  Munroe's  little  place  was  in  his  way.  He 
wanted  to  run  a  road  over  the  spot  where  the 
house  was  located,  and  had  proposed  to  buy  it 
and  the  land  upon  which  it  stood.  He  offered 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  it;  but  it  was 
now  worth  nine  hundred,  and  Mr.  Munroe  re 
fused  the  offer.  The  'Squire  was  angry  at  tf>e 
refusal,  and  from  that  time  used  all  the  means  in 
his  power  to  persecute  his  poor  neighbor. 

Then  sickness  paralyzed  the  arm  of  Mr.  Mun 
roe,  and  he  could  no  longer  work.  The  money 
he  had  saved  to  pay  the  note  when  it  should  be 
come  due  was  expended  in  supporting  his  family. 
With  utter  ruin  staring  him  full  in  the  face,  he 
sent  for  'Squire  Chase,  and  consented  to  his  offer ; 
but  the  malicious  wretch  would  not  give  even 
that  now ;  and  the  land  was  so  situated  as  to  be 
of  but  little  value  except  to  the  owner  of  the 


11FE  ON  THE  LAKft.  87 

Chase  estate.  The  'Squire  was  a  bad  neighbor, 
and  no  one  wanted  to  get  near  him  ;  so  that  Mr. 
Munroe  could  not  sell  to  any  other  person. 

The  crafty  lawyer  knew  that  the  poor  man  was 
fully  in  his  power,  and  he  determined  to  punish 
him,  even  to  his  ruin.  He  hated  him  because  he 
was  an  honest,  good  man ;  because  his  life, 
even  in  his  humbler  sphere,  was  a  constant  re 
proach  to  him.  The  note  would  be  due  on  the 
the  first  of  May,  and  he  had  determined  to  take 
possession  in  virtue  of  the  mortgage. 

Poor  Paul  shed  many  bitter  tears  upon  his  pil 
low  that  night  ;  and  from  the  depths  of  his  gentle 
heart  he  prayed  that  God  would  be  very  near  to 
his  father  and  mother  in  the  trials  and  sorrows 
that  were  before  them. 


38  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 


CHAPTER  X. 

A   UNANIMOUS   VOTE. 

ON  the  following  day  Little  Paul  was  missed  at 
school,  and  some  anxiety  was  felt  by  his  com 
panions  concerning  him.  It  was  feared  that  the 
exertion  of  the  race  had  proved  too  great  for  him, 
and  that  he  was  too  ill  to  ,;onie  out  All  the 
other  boys  appeared  a.s  usr-.J,  and  none  of  them 
seemed  to  be  the  worse  for  the  violent  exercu»w- 
they  had  taken. 

Before  night,  however,  they  learned  that  Litue 
Paul  was  quite  well,  and  had  been  detained  at 
home  to  assist  his  mother.  This  intelligence  re 
moved  their  anxiety, and  their  fears  lest  boat  rac 
ing  should  be  deemed  an  improper  recreation, 
and  dangerous  to  the  health  of  the  boys.  Friday 
and  Saturday  passed,  and  he  did  not  appear  at 
school ;  but  it  was  said  that  his  mother  was  very 
busy,  and  nothing  was  thought  of  the  circum 
stance. 

On  Saturday  afternoon  the  Butterfly  club  had 
assembled  in  their  hall,  and  were  talking  over 
the  affairs  of  the  association  until  the  time 
appointed  for  the  excursion  to  Center  Island. 
Little  Paul  had  not  come  yet,  and  the  boys  began 
to  fear  that  they  should  be  obliged  to  make  the 
excursion  with  only  five  oars  on  one  side. 

"What  do  you  suppose  is  the  reason  ?  "  asked 
Dick  Chester. 

\ 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  89 

"  I  have  no  idea  ;  I  hope  nothing  has 
happened,  for  Little  Paul  has  not  been  absent 
from  school  before  this  season,"  replied  Tony. 

"I  hope  not,"  added  Henry  Brown.  "Suppose 
we  send  a  committee  to  inquire  after  him." 

This  was  deemed  an  excellent  suggestion,  and 
Henry  and  Dick  were  immediately  appointed  a 
committee  of  two,  by  the  "chair,"  to  attend  to 
the  matter.  They  departed  upon  their  mission, 
and  after  the  boys  had  wondered  a  while  longer 
what  kept  Paul  away,  another  topic  was  brought 
up — a  matter  which  was  of  the  deepest  interest  to 
the  young  boatmen,  and  which  had  claimed  their 
attention  during  all  their  leisure  moments  for 
several  days. 

I  say  their  leisure  moments  ;  for  the  affairs  of 
the  club  were  not  permitted  to  interfere  with  any 
of  the  usual  duties  of  the  members.  At  home 
and  at  school,  it  was  required  that  everything 
should  be  done  well  and  done  properly.  As  may 
be  supposed,  this  was  not  an  easy  matter  for 
boys  whose  heads  were  full  of  boats  and  boating  ; 
and  about  once  a  week  the  coxswains  found  it 
advisable  to  read  a  lecture  on  the  necessity  of 
banishing  play  during  work  hours.  "Whatso 
ever  thy  hands  find  to  do,  do  it  with  all  thy 
might,"  was  a  text  so  often  repeated  that  it  had 
virtually  become  one  of  the  articles  of  the  consti 
tution. 

The  boys  felt  the  necessity  of  following  this 
precept.  They  realized  enough  of  the  law  of 
cause  and  effect  to  be  aware  that,  if  their  home 
and  school  duties  were  neglected,  or  slovenly 
done,  boating  would  soon  obtain  a  bad  reputa 
tion  ;  so  both  parents  and  teacher  found  that  foe 


90  ALL   ABOARD,    OR 

clubs  were  a  great  help  rather  than  a  hindrance 
in  the  performance  of  their  several  functions. 

So  strongly  were  the  Zephyrs  impressed  with 
the  necessity  of  not  permitting  the  club  to  inter 
fere  with  home  and  school  duties,  that,  at  the 
latter  part  of  their  first  season,  they  had  estab 
lished  a  rule  by  which  any  member  who  wilfully 
neglected  his  duties  should  be,  for  a  certain  time, 
excluded  from  the  club.  And  this  rule  was  not  a 
dead  letter.  One  Wednesday  forenoon  Charles 
Hardy  had  wasted  his  time  in  school,  and  failed 
in  his  lessons.  On  his  slate  was  found  a  drawing 
of  a  club  boat,  manned  by  certain  ill-looking 
caricatures,  which  explained  the  cause  of  the  de 
fection.  An  excursion  had  been  planned  for  that 
afternoon,  and  when  Charles  presented  himself  at 
the  boat-house,  he  was  politely  informed  that  he 
could  not  go.  In  vain  he  pleaded  ;  Fred  Harper, 
who  was  coxswain  at  the  time,  was  very  civil 
and  very  gentle,  but  he  was  inflexible.  And  the 
culprit  had  the  satisfaction  of  sitting  upon  a  rock 
on  shore,  and  seeing  what  a  fine  time  the  fellows 
were  having. 

The  effect  was  decidedly  salutary,  and  another 
case  of  such  discipline  did  not  again  occur.  The 
boys,  zealous  to  keep  their  favorite  sport  in  good 
repute,  adopted  the  regulation  for  the  present 
year,  in  both  clubs.  Without  such  precautions 
as  these  it  was  plain  that  boating  would  soon  be 
come  a  nuisance,  which  neither  parents  nor 
teachers  would  tolerate.  Therefore  the  members 
of  the  clubs  made  it  a  point  to  keep  their 
"  voyages,"  their  plans  and  schemes,  out  of  their 
minds  at  times  when  their  heads  should  be  filled 
with  other  matters.  It  was  astonishing  to  what 


LIFE  ON  THE   LAKE.  91 

an  extent  they  succeeded  ;  and  boys  would  often 
he  surprised  to  see  how  well  they  can  do,  if  they 
would  only  set  about  it  earnestly  and  with  a  de 
termination  to  succeed. 

The  notable  scheme  which  just  now  engrossed 
the  attention  of  the  Butterflies  was  no  less  than 
the  establishment  of  a  "fleet  of  boats"  upon  the 
lake.  The  dream  of  half  a  dozen  boats,  under 
command  of  Commodore  Frank  Sedley,  man 
euvering  on  the  water,  performing  beautiful  evolu 
tions,  and  doing  a  hundred  things  which  they 
could  not  then  define,  was  so  pleasant,  so  fasc 
inating,  that  they  could  not  easily  give  it  up. 

There  would  be  the  commodore  in  his  "flag 
boat,"  signalizing  the  fleet,  now  bidding  them 
pull  in  "close  order,"  now  ordering  a  boat  out 
on  service,  and  now  sending  one  to  examine  a 
bay  or  a  harbor.  And  then,  if  they  could  only 
get  leave  to  explore  Rippleton  River,  how  the 
commander  of  the  squadron  would  send  out  a 
small  craft  to  sound  ahead  of  them,  and  to  buoy 
off  the  rocks  and  shoals,  and  how  the  people  on 
the  banks  of  the  stream  would  stare  when  they 
saw  them  moving  in  sections  against  the  sluggish 
current  !  Ah,  a  fleet  of  boats  was  such  a  brilliant 
ideal,  that  I  will  venture  to  say  .more  than  one  of 
the  boys  lay  awake  nights  to  think  about  it. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  tell  my  young  friends  all 
the  queer  fancies  concerning  the  squadron  in 
which  they  indulged.  They  were  essentially  air 
castles,  very  beautiful  structures,  it  is  true,  but  as 
yet  they  rested  only  on  the  clouds.  But  the  means 
of  realizing  this  magnificent  ideal  was  within  their 
grasp.  They  had  the  money  to  buy  the  boats, 
and  the  oply  question  was,  whether  George 


Qf  ALL   ABOARD,   OR 

Weston,  the  "director"  of  the  club,  would  per 
mit  the  purchase. 

"  What  have  you  done  about  the  fleet,  Tony?  " 
asked  Joseph  Hooper. 

"  I  have  spoken  to  my  brother  about  it,"  re 
plied  Tony,  with  a  smile. 

"What 'did  ho  say?  " 

"  lie  had  no  objection." 

'  •  Hurrah  !  We  shall  have  the  fleet  then  !  And 
Tony,  we  shall  go  in  for  having  you  commodore 
part  r»f  trie  ti" 

"  That  we  will !  "  echoed  half  a  dozen  voices. 

"You  would  make  as  good  a  commodore  as 
Frank,"  added  Joseph. 

••  I  guess  not,"  answered  Tony,  iv.oilestly. 
'•  Didn't  you  see  how  slick  Frank  beat  us  in  the 
race  ?  If  I  had  followed  his  tactics,  we  might  have 
stood  some  chance,  at  least." 

"  Some  chance  !  Didn't  we  keep  ahead  of  him 
till  we  had  got  almos-t  home?  '' 

"Yes;  but  that  was  a  part  of  Frank's  tactics. 
He  let  us  get  tired  out,  and  then  beat  us.  But  we 
haven't  got  the  fleet  yet,  fellows,  and  we  are  a 
pack  of  fools  to  count  the  chickens  I  efore  they 
are  hatched." 

"  You  said  George  has  no  objections,"  replied 
Joseph,  glancing  anxiously  at  Tony. 

"Hi  has  not,  but  he  wants  to  consult  Captain 
Sedley  before  he  consents." 

The  boys  looked  a    little  disconcerted  at  this 
igence,  and  a  momentary  silence  ensued. 

"Do  you  think,  he  will  object,  Tony 
one. 

''  I  am  pretty  sure  he  will  not." 

"  Have  you  said  anything  to  Frank  about  it?  * 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  93 

"  Yes  ;  and  he  says  the  Zephyrs  will  put  th«r 
money  with  ours,  if  we  get  the  fleet" 

"  Hurrah  !     I  know  his  father  will  consent!" 

"  I  have  even  got  a  hint  from  him  that  he  should 
not  object,"  added  Tony,  very  quietly. 

"  That  is  glorious  !  We  shall  certainly  have 
the  fleet  then  !  "  shouted  Joseph  Hooper. 

"I  am  pretty  sure  there  will  be  no  trouble 
about  it.  Almost  everybody  is  willing  to 
now  that  the  clubs  are  a  good  thing ;  that  they 
keep  the  fellows  out  of  mischief,  and  stimulate 
them  to  do  their  duty  at  home  and  at  school.  So 
much  for  our  strict  regulations.  If  we  can  get 
more  boats,  and  form  more  clubs,  everybody 
concerned  will  be  the  better  for  it" 

"That's  the  idea." 

"  We  can  get  four  small  boats  for  our  money — 
can't  we  ?  "  asked  one  of  the  boys. 

"Frank  thought  we  had  better  get  different 
sized  boats,"  replied  Tony. 

"For  different  kinds  of  service,"  added  Joseph, 
demurely. 

"Say,  one  eight-oar  boat,  one  six-oar,  and  two 
four-oar,"  said  Tony. 

"That  would  be  first  rate!  Then  we  could 
take  in  twenty-two  fellows." 

"Twenty-three  ;  the  commodore  would  not  be 
the  coxswain  of  any  boat,  but  command  the 
whole." 

The  boys  grew  so  nervous  and  excited  during 
this  fine  discussion,  that  they  could  hardly  keep 
their  seats.  In  imagination  the  fleet  was  already 
afloat,  and  the  broad  pennant  of  Commodore 
Sedley  was  flying  on  board  the  Zephyr. 

"How    long    before  we  can  get   the  boats, 


^4  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

Tony? "asked  a  little  fellow,  his  eyes  snapping 
with  delight  at  the  glorious  anticipation. 

"  Perhaps  they  can  be  bought  ready  made. 
We  need  not  \vait  for  new  ones.  In  a  few  weeks, 

at  least  before  vacation Hallo,  Paul  1  I  am 

glad  you  have  come." 

Little  Paul  looked  very  sad  as  he  entered  But 
terfly  Hall.  With  a  faint  smile  he  received  the 
greetings  of  his  friends. 

•'All  aboard  !"  shouted  Tony,  as  he  rose  from 
his  chair.  "You  haven't  got  your  uniform  on, 
Paul." 

"I  can't  go  with  you,  Tony,"  replied  Little  Paul, 
in  a  gloomy  tone. 

"  Not  go  with  us  !  Why  not  ?  What  is  the 
matter  ? " 

"I  must  leave  the  club  too,"  he  added,  in  a 
husky  voice. 

"Leave  the  club  1 " 

"  We  are  going  to  move  Down  East." 

"That's  too  bad!" 

All  the  boys  gathered  round  Little  Paul,  and 
there  was  a  troubled  look  upon  their  countenances. 

"  We  cannot  stay  here  any  longer,"  continued 
the  poor  boy,  as  he  dashed  a  tear  from  his  eye. 

It  was  evident  to  all  that  some  misfortune  had 
overtaken  the  Munroe  family,  and  Little  Paul's 
sorrows  excited  the  deepest  interest  and  sympathy. 

Without  any  solicitation  on  the  part  of  his  com 
panions,  the  little  fellow  told  them  the  story  of 
his  father's  trials,  and  the  reason  why  he  was 
compelled  to  leave  Rippleton. 

"  When  is  the  money  due,  Paul  ?"  asked  Tony. 

'.'  On  the  first  of  May.  My  father  has  no  money 
and  he  cannot  pay  the  note." 


itint  ON  THE  tiitiL"  f£' 

11  Mow  much  did  you  say  it  was  ? " 

"  Five  hundred  dollars.  It  is  a  great  sum  for 
us." 

"My  father  says  'Squire  Chase  is  not  any  bet 
ter  than  he  ought  to  be,"  added  Dick  Chester,  who 
had  returned  with  Little  Paul. 

"  He  is  a  very  har  man,"  replied  Paul.  "But 
I  must  go  home  again.  I  shall  see  you  before  I 
leave  town  ;  "  and  the  poor  fellow  turned  away  to 
hide  his  tears. 

"Poor  Little  Paul!  "  said  Tony,  when  he  had 
gone. 

"  How  I  pity  him  !  "  added  Henry  Brown. 

"So  do  I,"  reiterated  Joseph  Hooper. 

"  How  much  do  you  pity  him,  fellows  ?"  asked 
Tony,  seating  himself  in  his  arm-chair. 

"So  much  that  we  would  help  him  if  we  could," 
answered  Henry. 

"You  can  help  him." 

A  deep  silence  ensued. 

"  Have  you  the  nerve  to  make  a  great  sacrifice, 
Butterflies  ?  "  exclaimed  Tony  with  energy. 

"  We  have." 

"I  move  you,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  our  four 
hundred  dollars  be  applied  to  the  relief  of  Little 
Paul's  father,"  said  Henry  Brown,  catching  Tony's 
idea. 

"Second  the  motion,"  added  Dick  Chester, 
promptly. 

"Bravo!"  shouted  Tony,  slapping  the  table 
with  his  fist.  "That's  what  I  call  noble  !  But 
before  we  do  it,  just  think  what  a  fine  thing  the 
fleet  would  be.  It  is  a  great  sacrifice." 

"  Question  !  "  called  Joseph  Hooper. 

"Think  well,  fellows,"  said  Tony.     "Any  re- 


96  ALL   ABOARD,    OR 

marks  upon  the  subject  will  be  in  order.  It  Is  a 
great  question,  and  ought  not  to  be  hastily  de 
cided. 

"Question  !  "  shouted  the  whole  club,  wildly. 

'-Those  in  favor  of  applying  the  four  hundred 
dollars  to  the  relief  of  Mr.  Munroe  will  signify  it," 
said  Tony. 

"  All  up  !  " 

"  It  is  a  unanimous 


OH    THJt   LA&S. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

MTTER   TO    GIVE    THAN    RECEITB. 

aboard  !  "  shouted  Tony,  as  soon  as  he 
had  declared  the  vote  :  and  the  boys  hurried  into 
the  boat  to  be  in  readiness  to  join  the  Zephyr, 
which  was  already  upon  the  lake. 

Tony's  spirits  were  unusually  buoyant.  The 
sympathy  and  co-operation  of  the  club  in  regard 
to'Littte  Paul's  father  was  in  the  highest  degree 
grateful  to  his  feelings.  Perhaps  his  companions 
did  not  so  cheerfully  resign  the  project  of  the 
fleet';  perhaps  they  had  acted  upon  the  impulse 
of  the  moment;  but  they  were  all  to  experience 
the  benefit  of  doing  a  good  deed,  and  sacrificing 
their  own  gratification  for  the  happiness  of  others. 
Tony  felt  better' for  the  sacrifice  they  had  made, 
and  probably  the  rest  of  them  shared  his  feelings. 
He  was  satisfied  that  they  did  not  fully  realize 
what  they  had  done,  and  with  the  determination 
to  take  a  fit  opportunity  to  talk  over  the  matter 
with  them,  he  took  his  place  in  the  boat. 

The  Zephyrs  were  laying  on  their  oars,  waiting 
for  the  Butterfly  when  she  backed  out  of  the 
boat  house. 

"You  are  late,  Tony,  which  is  rather  odd  for 
you,"  said  Frank. 

"We  had  a  little  business  to  attend  to,  which 
detained  us,"  repj^d  Tony  ;  "  and  while  we  are 
7 


98  ALL   ABOARD,   OR 

here  we  may  as  well  tell  you  about  it.  We  have 
voted  our  money  away." 

"  For  the  fleet?  " 

"  No  ;  we  have  given  that  up." 

"  Indeed  !  Given  it  up  ? "  exclaimed  Frank, 
not  a  little  surprised  at  this  declaration. 

"  Fact,  Frank  !  " 

"Something  new  has  turned  up,  then  ?" 

"Let  us  lash  boats  to  keep  us  from  drifting 
apart,  and  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it.." 

The  two  boats  were  fastened  together  fore  and 
aft,  and  Tony  proceeded  to  tell  the  story  of  Little 
Paul's  father.  He  spoke  loud  enough  for  all  the 
Zephyrs  to  hear  him,  and  as  his  heart  warmed 
towards  Mr.  Munroe  in  his  misfortunes,  his  eyes 
dilated,  and  his  gestures  were  as  apt  and  ener 
getic  as  though  he  had  been  an  orator  all  his 
lifetime. 

"  I  see  what  you  have  done  with  your  money," 
said  Frank,  as  the  speaker  paused  at  the  close  of 
the  narrative.  "It  was  like  you,  Tony — noble 
and  generous  ! " 

"We  gave^all  our  money  for  the  relief  of  Mr. 
Munroe ;  but  I  didn't  even  suggest  the  thing  to 
the  fellows.  Henry  Brown  made  the  motion, 
and  it  was  a  unanimous  vote." 

"  Bravo,  Butterflies  !  " 

"Have  you  given  up  the  fleet?"  asked  Tim 
Bunker,  whose  face  was  the  only  one  which  did 
not  glow  with  satisfaction. 

"Yes." 

"  There  is  more  fun  in  helping  a  poor  man  out 
of  trouble  than  in  working  a  fleet,"  added  Henry 
Brown. 

"So  I  say,"  put  in  Dick  Chester. 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  99 

"  Humph  !  "  grunted  Tim. 

"But,  Tony,  you  said  the  note  was  five  hun 
dred  dollars — didn't  you?  "  asked  Frank. 

"I  did." 

"And  you  have  only  four  hundred?" 

"That's  all  ;"  and  Tony's  eyes  rekindled  with 
delight  at  the  anticipation  of  what  the  Zephyrs 
would  do. 

"You  hear  that,  fellows." 

"Would  a  motion  be  in  order  now?"  asked 
Charies  Hardy. 

"Hold  your  tongue,  you  fool!"  said  Tim 
Bunker,  in  a  low  tone.  "We  can  get  another 
boat  with  our  money,  and  you  shall  be  coxswain 
of  it." 

chailes  looked  ^i  him. 

"A  motion  would  be  in  order  ;  at  least  we  can 
make  it  in  r  .er  "  icplied  Frank. 

B  t  Chrrles  hesit  ted.  The  tempting  offer  of 
Tim,  the  z-bsu.cuy  of  which  he  did  not  stop  to 
consider,  conqaered  '  's  first  impulse. 

'  I  move  you  we  appropriate  one  hundred 
dollars  to  put  with  the  Butterfly's  .money  for  Mr~ 
Munr  e,  '  said  William  Bright,  and  Charles  had 
lost  the  honor  of  making  the  motion. 

"Second  the  motion,"  added  Fred  Harper. 

Those  in  favor  of  giving  our  money  to  Mr. 
Munroe  will  signity  it." 

"Vote  against  it,"  said  Tim,  and  Charles  ac 
cepted  the  suggestion. 

"Ten;  it  is  a  vote,  though  not  unanimous," 
continued  Frank,  as  he  cast  a  reproachful  glance 
at  his  friend  who  had  voted  against  the  proposi 
tion. 

He  was  not  surprised  to  see  Tim  Bunker  vote 


ioO  ALL  ABOARD,  Oft 

against  it  ;  but  that  Charles  should  receive  the 
advice  of  such  a  counselor,  and  such  advice,  too, 
was  calculated  to  alarm  him.  His  friend  had  but 
little  firmness,  and  was  perhaps  more  likely  to 
be  led  away  by  bad  influence  than  any  other 
member  of  the  club.  He  was  sorry  to  see  Tim 
exhibiting  his  dogged  disposition,  but  more  sorry 
to  see  Charles  so  much  under  his  control. 

"  Hurrah  !  "  shouted  Tony,  when  the  vote  was 
declared.  "  Let  us  send  up  to  Mr.  Munroe,  and 
tell  him  what  we  have  done,  and  get  little  Paul. 
They  won't  want  him  now." 

"But,  Tony,  you  forget  that  our  doings  must 
be  approved  by  our  directors,"  said  Frank. 

"  I'll  risk  them." 

"It  would  be  better  to  have  everything  right 
before  we  promise  Mr,  Munroe. 

"  So  it  would.      Is  your  father  at  home?  " 

"  I  believe  so." 

"George  is,  and  it  won't  take  five  minutes  to 
obtain  his  consent.  Let  go  the  fasts  forward," 
said  Tony,  as  he  cast  off  the  line  astern. 

"  We  will  go  ashore  and  try  to  find  my  father," 
added  Frank.  "  Ready — pull  !  " 

Away  dashed  the  Zephyr  towards  her  boat- 
house,  while  the  Butterfly  came  about  so  that 
Tony  could  leap  on  shore. 

Of  course  both  Captain  Sedley  and  George 
Weston  were  surprised  at  the  sudden  action  of 
the  clubs  ;  but  the  deed  was  too  noble,  too  hon 
orable  to  their  kind  hearts  to  want  their  sanc 
tion,  and  it  was  readily  given.  In  less  than  half 
an  hour  the  boats  were  pulling  towards  a  con 
venient  landing-place  near  Mr.  Mun roe's  house. 

The  poor  man  was  confounded  when  the  coin- 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  IOI 

mittee  of  two  from  each  club  waited  upon  him 
and  stated  their  business.  His  eyes  filled  with 
tears,  and  he  and  Little  Paul  wept  together. 

But  Mr.  Munroe  could  not  think  of  taking  the 
money  at  first.  He  declared  that  he  would  suffer 
anything  rather  than  deprive  the  boys  of  the 
gratification  which  their  money  would  purchase. 

"We  are  a  little  selfish  about  it,  sir,"  said 
Tony.  "  We  want  to  keep  Paul  among  us." 

"That's  the  idea,"  added  Henry  Brown,  who 
was  his  colleague  on  the  committee. 

"I  can't  take  your  money,  boys,"  replied  Mr. 
Munroe,  firmly. 

"  You  will  oblige  us  very  much  by  taking  it. 
My  brother  and  Captain  Sedley  both  know  what 
we  are  about.  I  am  sure  we  shall  feel  happier 
in  letting  you  have  this  money  than  we  should 
be  made  by  anything  it  will  buy.  It  was  at 
unanimous  vote  in  our  club."  > 

"Noble little  fellows  !"  exclaimed  Mr.  Munroe, 
with  a  fresh  burst  of  tears,  as  he  grasped  the 
hand  of  Tony. 

The  matter  was  argued  for  some  time  longer, 
and  finally  compromised  by  Mr.  Munroe's  agree 
ing  to  accept  the  money  as  a  loan. 

The  notes  were  drawn  up  and  signed  by  the 
poor  man,  whose  heart  was  filled  to  overflowing 
with  gratitude  at  this  unexpected  relief. 

"  Now  you  will  let  Paul  come  with  us — won't 
you,  Mr.  Munroe  ?  "  asked  Tony. 

"Certainly;  and  I  shall  never  cease  to  thank 
God  that  he  has  found  such  noble  and  true 
friends,"  replied  the  poor  man  ;  and  as  they  took 
their  leave,  he  warmly  pressed  the  hands  of  each 
member  of  the  committee. 


JO2  ALL   ABOARD,   OR 

"Cheer  up,  Paul  ;  don't  be  downhearted.      It 

is  all  right  now,"  said  Tony. 

"I  can't  be  lively,"  replied  Little  Paul,  whose 
sadness  cast  a  shade  upon  the  enjoyment  of  the 
others. 

"Why  not,  Paul?" 

"I  feel  so  sad;  and  your  goodness  to  my  poor 
father  overcomes  me." 

"  Never  mind  that,  Paul ;  cheer  up,  and  we  will 
have  a  glorious  time." 

But  Little  Paul's  feelings  were  too  strong  and 
deep  to  be  easily  subdued.  His  pride  seemed  to 
be  wounded  by  the  events  of  the  day,  and  when 
they  reached  Center  Island,  he  told  Tony  how 
badly  he  felt  about  his  father  being  the  recipient 
of  their  charity,  as  he  called  it. 

"Charity,  Paul!"  exclaimed  the  noble  little 
fellow.  "  Look  here  ;  "  and  he  pulled  the  note  he 
had  received  from  Mr.  Munroe  out  of  his  pocket. 
"Do  you  call  this  charity  ?  " 

"Perhaps  he  can  never  pay  you  ;  at  least  it  will 
be  a  long  time." 

"  No  matter ;  it  is  a  fair  trade.  We  lent  him  the 
money." 

And  Tony  argued  the  point  with  as  much  skill 
as  a  lawyer  would  have  done,  and  finally  so  far 
succeeded  in  convincing  Paul,  that  his  face  bright 
ened  with  a  cheerful  smile,  and  he  joined  with 
hearty  zest  in  the  preparations  for  the  May-day 
picnic. 

A  long  spruce  pole,  which  had  been  prepared 
for  the  occasion  by  Uncle  Ben,  was  towed  to  the 
island  by  the  Zephyr,  and  erected  in  a  convenient 
place.  The  brushwood  in  the  grove  was  cleared 
from  the  ground,  the  large  stones  were  rolled  out 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  1 03 

of  the  way,  and  were  used  in  constructing  a  pier 
for  convenience  in  landing.  When  their  labors 
were  concluded  it  was  nearly  dark,  and  the  boats 
pulled  for  home,  each  member  of  the  clubs  antic 
ipating  a  glorious  time  on  the  approaching  holi 
day,  for  such  the  committee  had  decided  the  First 
of  May  should  be. 


134  ALL  ABOARD,  Oft 


CHAPTER  XIL 

FIRST   OF   MAY. 

MAY  day  came — warm,  bright,  and  beautif  J. 
At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  Zephyr  and  the 
Butterfly  were  manned,  and  the  boys  went  over 
to  the  island  to  trim  the  May-pole  with  evergreen 
and  flowers.  The  Sylph  was  degraded  for  the 
time  into  a  "freighting  vessel,"  and  under  com 
mand  of  Uncle  Ben  conveyed  to  the  island  chairs 
and  settees  for  the  use  of  the  guests,  tables  for  the 
feast,  music  stands  for  the  band,  and  other  articles 
required  for  the  occasion. 

About  nine  o'clock  the  guests  began  to  arrive, 
and  were  conveyed  to  the  island  by  the  two  club 
boats — the  Sylph  having  gone  down  to  Rippleton 
after  the  band.  The  Sedleys,  the  Westons,  Mr. 
Hyde,  the  parents  of  all  the  members  of  the  clubs 
who  could  attend,  all  the  boys  and  girls  of  the 
school,  and  a  few  gentlemen  and  ladies  from  the 
village  who  had  manifested  a  warm  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  two  associations,  composed  the 
party  ;  and  before  ten  they  were  all  conveyed  to 
the  scene  of  the  festival. 

"Have  you  got  them  all,  Frank?"  asked  Cap 
tain  Sedley,  as  the  coxswain  was  ordering  his  crew 
ashore. 

"All  but  the  Munroes,  and  the  Butterflies  are 
going  for  them  by  and  by. " 

"Tom  is  hoisting  the  signal,"  added  Captain 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  10$ 

Sedley,  pointing  to  a  blue  flag  on  *he  shore,  which 
the  gardener  had  been  directed  to  hoist  when  any 
one  wished  to  go  to  the  island. 

"We  will  go,  Frank,"  said  Tony  ;  and  away 
dashed  the  boat  towards  the  main  shore. 

"Ah,  my  Butterflies,"  said  a  voice,  as  they 
approached  the  landing. 

"Mr.  Walker!"  exclaimed  Tony.  "Ready — 
up !  Now  let  us  give  him  three  cheers.  I  was 
afraid  he  would  not  come." 

The  salute  was  given,  and  acknowledged  by 
Mr.  Walker. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you  again,  my  brave  boy," 
said  the  gentleman,  as  he  grasped  Tony's  hand. 

"I  was  afraid  you  would  not  deem  our  invita 
tion  worth  accepting." 

"I  would  not  have  missed  of  coming  for  the 
world,  my  young  friend.  Here  is  Mrs.  Walker; 
you  know  her." 

Tony  shook  hands  with  the  lady,  and  she  said 
a  great  many  very  pretty  things  to  him,  which 
made  the  gallant  little  hero  blush  like  a  rose  in 
June,  and  stammer  so  that  he  could  hardly  make 
them  understand  him. 

"  Shall  I  help  you  into  the  boat,  Mrs.  Walker?" 
said  Tony. 

"  You  shall,  my  little  gallant ;  though  I  shall  not 
be  so  glad  to  get  into  it  as  I  was  the  other  day." 

The  boat  put  off  again,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Walker  were  filled  with  admiration  of  the  excel 
lent  discipline  of  the  rowers.  They  were  warmly 
greeted  by  the  party  at  the  island,  and  lustily 
cheered  by  the  crew  of  the  Zephyr,  which  was 
again  manned  for  the  purpose  of  giving  their 
liberal  friend  this  complimentary  salute. 


I 
I06  ALL  ABOARD,  Ofc 

"Off  again,  my  lads?"  asked  Mr.  Walker,  as 
the  Butterflies  prepared  to  go  for  the  Munroe 
family. 

Captain  Sedley  explained  to  him  the  nature  of 
their  present  errand ;  and,  of  course,  the  warm 
hearted  gentleman  found  renewed  occasion  to 
applaud  the  nobleness  of  Tony  and  his  com 
panions.  He  could  hardly  find  terms  sufficiently 
strong  to  express  his  sense  of  admiration,  es 
pecially  when  he  learned  the  sacrifice  which  they 
had  made. 

"A  fleet  of  boats!"  exclaimed  he.  "If  it 
would  raise  up  such  boys  as  these,  it  ought  to  be 
procured  at  the  public  expense.  Thank  God !  I 
am  rich." 

"  I  understand  you,  Mr.  Walker,"  replied  Cap 
tain  Sedley;  "but  I  beg  you  will  not  let  your 
generosity  do  anything  more  for  the  boys." 

"Captain  Sedley,  I  love  those  boys!  They 
are  good  boys,  and  good  boys  are  a  scarcity 
nowadays.  There  is  nothing  too  good  for  them." 

"  You  are  enthusiastic." 

"But  I  tell  you,  sir,  there  are  no  such  boys  as 
those  in  the  world  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Walker,  with 
a  gesture  of  earnestness. 

"O,  yes,  sir;  I  presume,  under  the  same  dis 
cipline,  other  boys  would  be  the  same." 

"Then  let  them  have  the  same  discipline." 

"It  would  cost  a  fortune.  It  is  a  very  extrav 
agant  recreation,  this  boating." 

"But  it  makes  men  of  them.  I  read  the  con 
stitution  of  the  clubs,  and  Tony  tells  me  it  is 
carried  out  to  the  fullest  extent. " 

"  No  doubt  of  it.  There  are  boys  among  them, 
who,  under  other  circumstances,  would  be  bad 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  107 

boys.  I  am  satisfied  the  club  keeps  mem  true  to 
themselves  and  their  duty." 

"That's  just  my  idea;  and  ».„  these  noble- 
hearted  little  fellows  have  bestowed  the  money  I 
gave  them  in  such  a  commendable  manner,  I 
mean  to  give  them  as  much  more.'' 

"  That  was  my  own  feeling  about  the  matter  ; 
but  I  do  not  think  it  is  a  good  plan  to  make  good 
all  they  sacrifice.  This  fleet  scheme  was  a  cher 
ished  project,  and  it  was  noble  in  them  to  give  it 
up  that  they  might  do  a  good  deed." 

"Noble  !  It  was  heroic — I  was  just  going  to 
use  a  stronger  word." 

"It  is  good  for  them  to  practise  self-denial. 
That  is  all  that  makes  the  deed  a  worthy  one." 

"Exactly  so." 

"Therefore,  my  friend,  we  will  not  say  any 
thing  more  about  the  fleet  at  present." 

"But  if  they  bear  it  well,  if  they  don't  repent 
what  they  have  done,  why,  I  should  not  value 
one  or  two  thousand  dollars.  Besides,  it  might 
be  the  means  of  bringing  a  large  number  of  boys 
within  the  pale  of  good  influences." 

"That  is  my  own  view  ;  and  by  and  by  we 
will  talk  more  of  the  matter." 

Captain  Sedley  then  introduced  Mr.  Walker  to 
the  company,  and  the  benevolent  gentleman 
took  a  great  deal  of  pains  to  inform  himself  in 
relation  to  the  influence  of  the  boat  clubs  upon 
the  boys.  He  asked  a  great  many  questions  of 
their  parents,  and  of  Mr.  Hyde,  the  teacher. 
They  all  agreed  that  the  young  men  were  the 
better  for  the  associations  ;  that  the  discipline 
was  very  useful,  and  the  physical  exercise  very- 
healthy  ;  but  some  of  them  were  afraid  their  sons 


108  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

would  acquire  such  a  taste  for  the  water  as  to 
create  a  desire  to  follow  the  seas.  But  fe\v  of 
them  considered  boating,  under  the  discipline  of 
the  clubs,  a  dangerous  recreation  ;  so  that  the 
only  real  objection  was  the  tendency  to  produce 
longings  for 

"  A  life  on  the  ocean  wave, 
A  home  on  the  rolling  deep." 

Mr.  Walker  tried  to  make  the  sceptical  ones  be 
lieve  that  Wood  Lake  was  so  entirely  different 
from  the  "rolling  deep"  as  scarcely  to  suggest 
the  idea  of  a  ship,  or  of  the  ocean.  But  the  dis 
advantages  were  trivial  compared  with  the  bene 
fits  which  all  acknowledged  to  have  derived  from 
the  associations,  even  independently  of  the  libra 
ries,  the  lectures,  and  the  debating  societies  at 
the  halls. 

Tony  and  his  companions  soon  returned  with 
the  Munroe  family,  who  were  cordially  received 
by  the  guests.  Captain  Sedley  expressed  his 
sympathy  for  the  poor  man,  regretting  that  he 
had  not  known  his  situation  before. 

"I  would  have  bought  your  place  myself 
rather  than  have  had  you  sacrifice  your  property 
to  the  cupidity  of  such  a  man,"  said  he. 

"You  are  very  good,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  Munroe; 
"but  I  had  not  the  courage  to  state  my  circum 
stances  to  anybody.  'Squire  Chase  :s  a  very 
hard  man  ;  even  when  I  paid  him  the  money, 
which  the  kindness  of  the  boys  enabled  me  to  do, 
he  was  so  angry  that  he  could  scarcely  contain 
himself.  He  swore  at  me,  and  vowed  he  would 
have  vengeance." 

"  He  must  be  a  very  disagreeable  neighbor." 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  109 

"He  is,  indeed." 

"On  with  the  dance  !  "  shouted  Frank,  in  the 
most  exuberant  spirits  ;  and  the  rich  and  the  poor 
man  dropped  the  subject. 

The  boys  and  girls  had  formed  a  line  round 
the  May-pole,  and  the  band  commenced  playing 
a  very  lively  air.  As  the  inspiring  notes  struck 
their  ears,  they  began  to  jump  and  caper  about, 
taking  all  sorts  of  fantastic  steps,  which  it  would 
have  puzzled  a  French  dancing  master  to  define 
and  classify.  Most  of  the  boys  and  girls  knew 
nothing  of  dancing,  as  an  art  ;  but  I  venture  to 
say  they  enjoyed  themselves  quite  as  much  as 
though  they  had  been  perfectly  proficient  in  all 
the  fashionable  waltzes,  polkas,  and  redowas, 
Their  hearts  danced  with  gladness,  and  their  steps 
were  altogether  impromptu. 

Then  came  the  ceremony  of  crowning  the 
Queen  of  May,  in  the  person  of  Mary  Weston, 
which  was  performed  in  the  most  gallant  style  by 
Frank  Sedley.  Another  dance  succeeded,  and 
then  came  the  feast.  A  great  many  good  things 
were  eaten,  a  great  many  fine  things  said,  and  a 
great  many  patriotic  and  complimentary  toasts 
weredrank.  The  bandplayed  "  Hail  Columbia," 
"Yankee  Doodle,"  and  many  other  spirited 
tunes,  and  Mr.  Walker  was  very  much  astonished, 
as  well  as  amused,  to  hear  some  of  the  boys  make 
speeches,  flowery  and  fine,  which  had  evidently 
been  prepared  for  the  occasion,  when  they  were 
"  called  up  "  by  the  toasts. 

After  the  feast  was  over,  the  party  divided  it 
self  into  little  knots  for  social  recreation.  Frank 
and  Mary  Weston  took  a  walk  on  the  beach,  and 
the  rest  of  the  boys  and  girls  climbed  over  the 


If£>  Alt  ABOARD," OK 

rocks,  amused  themselves  in  the  swing  which 
Uncle  Ben  had  put  up,  or  wandered  in  the  grove. 
Boys  and  girls  always  enjoy  themselves  at  such 
seasons,  and  my  young  readers  need  not  be  told 
that  they  all  had  a  "  first-rate  time." 

I  do  not  mean  all  ;  for  two  members  of  the 
Zephyr  Club  had  wandered  away  from  the  rest 
of  the  party  to  the  north  side  of  the  island.  They 
were  concealed  from  view  by  a  large  rock  ;  but 
if  any  one  had  observed  them,  he  could  not  have 
failed  to  see  that  they  were  exceptions  to  the 
general  rule — that  they  were  not  happy.  The 
two  boys  were  Charles  Hardy  and  Tim  Bunker. 
Frank  had  been  pained  to  notice  that  an  unnatu 
ral  intimacy  had  been  growing  up  between  them 
for  several  days ;  and  he  had  already  begun  to 
fear  that  it  was  in  the  heart  of  Tim  to  lead  his 
weak-minded  associate  astray. 

"  Now,  let's  see  how  much  there  is  in  it,"  said 
Tim. 

"  I  am  afraid  to  open  it,"  replied  Charles,  as  he 
glanced  nervously  over  the  rocks. 

"  Git  out !  " 

"I  am  doing  wrong,  Tim;  I  feel  it  here." 
And  Charles  placed  his  hand  upon  his  heart. 

"Humph!"  sneered  Tim.  "Give  it  to  me, 
and  I  will  open  it." 

"We  ought  not  to  open  it,"  replied  Charles, 
putting  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  and  again  glanc 
ing  over  the  top  of  the  rocks.  "Besides,  Tim, 
you  promised  to  be  a  good  boy  when  we  let  you 
into  the  club." 

' '  I  mean  to  have  a  good  time.  We  might  hare 
had  if  you  fellows  hadn't  given  away  all  that 
money,  ** 


LIFE  ON  THE   LAKE.  til 

"I  didn't  do  it." 

"I  know  you  didn't,  but  the  rest  on  'em  did; 
so  it's  all  the  same.  They  are  a  set  of  canting 
pups,  and  for  my  part  I'm  tired  on  'em.  Frank 
Sedley  don't  lord  it  over  me  much  longer,  you 
better  believe  !  And  you  are  a  fool  if  you  let  him 
snub  you  as  he  does  every  day." 

"I  don't  mean  to,"  answered  Charles.  "  I  be 
lieve  the  fellows  all  hate  me,  or  they  would  have 
made  me  coxswain  before  this  time." 

"Of  course  they  would.  They  hate  you, 
Charley  :  I  heard  Frank  Sedley  say  as  much  as 
that  the  other  day." 

"  He  did  ? " 

"  Of  course  he  did." 

"I  wouldn't  have  thought  that  of  him,"  said 
Charles,  his  eye  kindling  with  anger. 

"Let's  have  the  purse,  Charley." 

Charles  hesitated  ;  but  the  struggle  was  soon 
over  in  his  bosom,  and  he  took  from  his  pocket 
a  silken  purse  and  handed  it  to  Tim. 

"We  are  doing  wrong,  Tim,"  said  he,  as  a 
twinge  of  conscience  brought  to  his  mind  a 
realizing  sense  of  his  position.  "  Give  me  back 
the  purse,  and  I  will  try  to  find  the  owner." 

' '  No,  you  don't !  "  replied  Tim,  as  he  opened 
one  end  of  the  purse  and  took  therefrom  a  roll  of 
bank  bills,  which  he  proceeded  to  count. 

"Do  give  it  back  to  me  !  I  am  sure  the  owner 
has  missed  it  by  this  time." 

"  No  matter  if  he  has ;  he  won't  get  it  again  in 
a  hurry,"  answered  the  Bunker,  coolly.  "Sixty 
dollars  in  bills  !  Good ! " 

"Give  it  to  me,  or  I  will  go  to  Captain  Sedlejr 
and  tell  him  you  have  it" 


1*8  ALL  ABOARD,  Oft 

"Will  you?" 

"I  will." 

"  If  you  do,  I'll  smash  your  head,"  said  Tim, 
looking  fiercely  at  him.  ' '  Don't  be  a  fool !  With 
this  money  we  can  have  a  first-rate  time,  and 
oobody  will  be  any  the  wiser  for  it." 

"I  am  afraid  we  shall  be  found  out." 

Probably  Charles  was  more  afraid  of  that  than 
of  the  wicked  act  which  he  had  permitted  himself 
to  think  of  doing.  He  had  found  the  purse  on 
the  beach  a  little  while  before.  When  he  had 
told  Tim  of  it,  the  reckless  fellow,  still  the  same 
person  as  before,  notwithstanding  his  promises 
and  his  altered  demeanor,  had  led  him  over  to  this 
retired  spot  in  order  to  get  possession  of  the  purse. 

"Nonsense!  Nobody  will  suspect  you,"  re 
plied  Tim,  as  he  poured  out  the  silver  and  gold 
in  the  other  end  of  the  purse. 

"I  never  did  such  a  thing  in  my  life." 

"No  matter;  there  must  be  a  beginning  to 
everything." 

"  What  would  my  mother  say  ?  " 

"She  will  say  you  are  a  clever  fellow  if  you 
don't  get  found  out.  Eleven  dollars  and  a  quarter 
in  specie  !  That  makes  seventy-one  twenty-five 
—don't  it?" 

"Yes." 

"All  right !  We  will  just  dig  a  little  hole  here, 
and  put  the  purse  into  it,"  continued  Tim,  as  he 
scooped  out  a  hole  in  the  sand,  and  dropped  the 
ill-gotten  treasure  into  it. 

Filling  up  the  hole,  he  placed  a  large  flat  i 
upon  the  spot,  which  further  secured  the  purse, 
and  concealed  the  fact  that  the  sand  had  been 
disturbed. 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKft.  ilj 

"I   am  sure  we  shall  get   found  out,"  said 

Charles,  trembling  with  apprehension. 

"Nonsense!  Keep  a  stiff  upper  lip  ;  don't  stop 
to  think,  and  all  will  go  well.  But,  my  hearty, 
if  you  peach  on  me,  I  give  you  my  word,  I  will 
take  your  life  before  you  are  one  month  older — 
do  you  hear  ? "  And  Tim's  fierce  looks  gave  force 
to  his  words.  "Now,  we  will  go  back  to  the 
rest  on  'em  before  they  miss  us.  Mind  you  don't 
say  anything,  nor  look  anything." 

Charles  followed  Tim  back  to  the  other  side  of 
the  island,  and  both  of  them  joined  the  sports  of 
the  day.  The  afternoon  passed  away,  and  noth 
ing  was  said  of  the  purse.  The  owner  had  not 
missed  it,  and  Tim  congratulated  himself  on  the 
circumstance.  Charles  tried  to  be  joyous,  and 
though  he  did  not  feel  so,  he  acted  it  so  well  that 
no  one  suspected  him  of  harboring  so  vile  a  sin 
within  his  bosom. 

"All  aboard  !  "  said  Frank,  and  the  band  com 
menced  playing  "Home,  Sweet  Home." 

In  due  time  the  party  were  all  transported  to 
the  shore,  and  everybody  went  home  highly  de 
lighted  with  the  day's  amusements.  The  Zephyr 
was  housed,  and  the  crew  dismissed,  but  not  a 
word  Was  said  about  the  purse. 
8 


114  ALL  ABOARD, 


CHAPTER  XIIL 

THE    LIGHTHOUSE. 

DURING  the  month  of  May,  the  members  of  the 
two  clubs  continued  to  spend  many  of  their  lei 
sure  hours  on  the  lake ;  but  my  young  friends 
must  not  suppose  that  life  was  to  them  a  con 
tinuous  holiday  ;  and,  because  these  books  are 
devoted  chiefly  to  their  doings  on  the  water,  that 
boating  was  the  only,  or  the  principal  business 
that  occupied  them.  They  had  their  school  duties 
to  perform,  their  errands  to  do,  wood  to  split, 
yards  to  sweep  ;  in  short,  they  had  to  do  just  Ifke 
other  boys.  A  portion  of  Wednesday  and  Satur 
day  afternoon,  and  of  their  other  holidays,  was 
given  to  these  aquatic  sports  ;  so  that  they  were 
really  on  the  lake  but  a  small  part  of  the  time. 
Probably,  if  they  had  spent  all  their  leisure  in  the 
boats,  the  exercise  would  have  lost  its  attractions, 
besides  interfering  very  much  with  their  home 
and  school  affairs.  Pleasures,  to  be  enjoyed, 
should  be  partaken  of  in  moderation.  Boys  get 
sick  of  most  sports  in  a  short  time,  because  they 
indulge  in  them  too  freely. 

Nothing  specially  worthy  of  note  occurred  in 
either  club  till  near  the  end  of  the  month  of  May. 
The  intimacy  between  Charles  Hardy  and  Tim 
Bunker  was  observed  to  increase,  though  no  one 
had  any  suspicion  of  the  secret  which  had 
cemented  the  bond  of  then  union. 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  .  Ilg 

The  lost  purse  was  the  property  of  Mr.  Walker 
At  a  subsequent  visit  to  Rippleton,  he  had  men 
tioned  his  loss,  but  he  had  no  idea  where  he  had 
dropped  it.  Tim  congratulated  his  still  unwilling 
confederate  on  the  success  of  his  villainy.  Mr. 
Walker  did  not  even  know  whether  he  had  lost 
his  money  in  the  town  or  not;  so,  of  course,  he 
had  no  suspicion  of  them. 

"You  are  a  first-rate  fellow,  Charley,  but  you 
are  too  chickenish  by  half,"  said  Tim  Bunker. 

"  I  don't  feel  right  about  it,  and  I  wish  I  had 
given  up  the  purse  when  I  found  it." 

"Pooh!" 

"  I  meant  to  do  so." 

"  I  know  you  did.  You  were  just  fool  enough 
to  do  such  a  thing.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  me,  you 
would  have  done  it." 

"O,  I  wish  I  had!" 

"  Don't  be  a  fool,  Charley." 

"I  would  give  the  world  to  feel  as  I  felt  before 
I  did  this  thing." 

"  Don't  think  any  more  about  it." 

"  I  can't  help  thinking.      It  worries  me  nights." 

"Go  to  sleep  then." 

"I  can't.  What  would  Frank  say  if  he  knew 
it?" 

"Humph!     Frank  again  !" 

"They  would  turn  me  out  of  the  club." 

"You  are  no  worse  than  any  of  the  rest  of 
them. " 

"They  wouldn't  steal,"  replied  Charles, 
warmly. 

"Don't  you  believe  it.  If  I  should  tell  all  I 
know  about  some  of  them,  they  wouldn't  be  safe 
where  they  are,  let  me  tell  you." 


Il6  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

"  What  do  you  know,  Tim  ? " 

"  I  don't  choose  to  tell." 

Charles  found  some  satisfaction  in  this  indefi 
nite  accusation  ;  but  it  was  not  enough  to  quiet 
his  troubled  conscience.  Life  seemed  different  to 
him  since  he  had  stolen  the  purse — he  had  not 
got  far  enough  in  wickedness  yet  to  believe  that 
it  was  not  stolen.  He  felt  guilty,  and  his  sense 
of  guilt  followed  him  wherever  he  went.  He 
could  not  shake  it  off.  Everybody  seemed  to 
look  reproachfully  at  him.  He  avoided  his  com 
panions  in  the  club  when  not  on  duty  with  them. 
He  began  to  hate  Frank  Sedley,  though  he  could 
not  tell  the  reason.  William  Bright,  who  was 
now  the  coxswain,  Frank's  term  having  expired, 
was  a  very  strict  disciplinarian,  and  the  guilty 
boy  had  grown  very  impatient  of  restraint.  He 
was  surly  and  ill-natured  when  the  coxswain 
rebuked  him,  even  in  the  kindest  tones.  Every 
thing  went  wrong  with  him,  for  the  worm  was 
gnawing  at  his  heart. 

"  Won't  you  tell  me,  Tim?  "  asked  he,  in  reply 
to  Tim's  remark. 

"Not  now,  Charley;  one  of  these  days  you 
shall  know  all  about  it." 

"I  am  afraid  we  shall  both  get  turned  out  of 
the  club." 

"No  we  shan't ;  if  we  do But  no  matter.' 

"  What  would  you  do,  Tim  ?  " 

"Never  mind  now,  Charley.  I  have  a  plan  in 
my  head.  Captain  Sedley  told  me  the  other  day 
if  I  didn't  behave  better  I  should  be  turned  out." 

"Then  you  will  be." 

"I  don't  care  if  I  am.     If  they  turn  me  out, 
will  make  a  mistake ;  that's  all, " 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  ttf 

There  was  something  mysterious  in  the  "words 
of  the  Bunker  which  excited  the  curiosity  of 
Charles.  He  could  not  help  wondering-  what  he 
would  do.  Tim  had  so  much  resolution  he  was 
sure  it  was  not  an  idle  boast. 

"I  know  what  I  am  about,"  continued  Tim, 
with  a  wise  look. 

"Captain  Sedley  says  you  still  associate  with 
your  old  companions,"  ad'ded  Charles. 

"What  if  I  do?" 

"That  would  be  ground  enough  for  turning 
you  out." 

"Would  it?  They  are  better  fellows  than  you 
long  faces,  and  you  will  say  so  when  you  know 
them,"  replied  Tim,  speaking  as  though  it  were  a 
settled  fact  that  he  would  know  them  by  and 
by. 

This  conversation  occurred  one  Wednesday 
afternoon,  as  the  two  boys  were  on  their  way  to 
the  boat-house.  On  their  arrival,  Tim  was  in 
formed  by  Captain  Sedley,  who  was  apparently 
there  for  that  purpose,  that  he  was  expelled  from 
the  dub.  It  was  sudden  and  unexpected,  and 
had  been  done  by  the  director  without  any  action 
on  the  part  of  the  club. 

"  What  for  ? "  asked  Tim,  in  surly  tones. 

"  I  find  that  you  still  associate  with  your  old 
companions,  which  is  sufficient  proof  that  you 
don't  mean  to  reform,"  answered  the  director. 

"  I  don't  care,"  growled  Tim,  as  he  turned  on 
his  heel  and  walked  out  of  the  hall. 

Charles  Hardy  was  then  called  aside  by  Cap 
tain  Sedley,  who  kindly  pointed  out  to  him  the 
danger  he  incurred  in  associating  with  such  a 
boy  as  Tim. 


IlS  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

"  I  would  not  have  kept  company  with  him  if 
he  had  no*  been  a  member  of  the  club,"  replied 
Charles. 

"  He  was  admitted  to  the  club  on  the  supposi 
tion  that  he  intended  to  be  a  better  boy." 

"  I  was  opposed  to  admitting  him,"  answered 
Charles,  rather  sulkily. 

"I  was  very  willing  the  boy  should  have  a 
fair  chance  to  reform  ;  but  when  it  became  ap 
parent  that  he  did  not  mean  to  do  better,  I  could 
no  longer  permit  him  to  endanger  the  moral  wel 
fare  of  the  club.  We  have  been  satisfied  for  some 
time;  and  most  of  the  boys,  after  giving  him  a 
fair  trial,  avoided  him  as  much  as  possible  when 
they  saw  what  he  meant.  But  you  have  been 
growing  more  and  more  intimate  with  him  every 
day.  Why,  ii  was  only  last  night  that  he  was 
seen  with  some  twenty  or  thirty  of  his  old  com 
panions.  They  seemed  to  be  in  consultation 
about  something.  Perhaps  you  were  with  them." 

"No,  sir;  I  was  not." 

"I  am  glad  you  were  not.  I  caution  you  to 
avoid  them.'' 

"  I  will,  sir,"  replied  Charles,  meekly ;  and  he 
meant  what  he  said. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so  :  1  was  afraid 
you  had  known  too  much  of  Tim  Bunker,"  said 
the  director,  as  he  walked  towards  his  house. 

Charles  entered  the  hall,  and  took  his  seat. 

"Those  in  favor  of  admitting  Samuel  Preston 
to  the  club  will  signify  it,"  said  William,  as  soon 
as  he  was  in  his  place. 

Eleven  hands  were  raised,  and  the  new  mem 
ber,  who  stood  by  the  window  waiting  the  result, 
was  declared  to  be  admitted.  The  constitution 


LIFE   ON  THE   LAKE. 

was  tnen  read  to  him,  and  he  signed  it ;  after 
which  the  club  embarked  for  an  excursion  up  to 
the  strait,  where  they  had  agreed  to  meet  the  But 
terfly. 

The  particular  object  of  this  visit  was  to  erect 
a  lighthouse  on  Curtis  Island,  a  small,  rocky 
place,  separated  from  the  main  shore  by  ' '  Cai 
ro  w  Strait,"  which  the  readers  of  "The  Boat 
Club "  will  remember.  The  navigation  of  this 
portion  of  the  lake  was  considered  very  difficult, 
especially  through  the  narrow  passage,  and  it 
was  thought  to  be  absolutely  necessary  to  have 
a  lighthouse,  mauger  the  fact  that  the  boats 
always  sailed  by  day.  But  as  neither  craft  w.'s 
insured,  it  was  necessary  *o  use  extraordinary 
precautions  ! 

A  working  party  of  half  a  dozen  was  detailed 
from  each  boat,  consisting  "*f  the  stoutest  boys, 
who  were  landed  upon  tht,  island.  Materials 
were  immediately  gathered  and  the  foundation 
laid.  The  structure  was  to  be  a  simple  round 
tower,  as  high  as  the  patience  of  the  workmen 
would  permit  them  to  build  it. 

In  a  short  time  all  the  rocks  on  the  island  had 
been  used  up,  and  the  lighthouse  was  only  two 
feet  high  ;  but  this  contingency  had  been  antici 
pated,  and  provisions  made  for  supplying  more 
stone.  A  large  rock  was  attached  to  the  long 
painter  of  the  Butterfly,  and  she  was  moored  at  a 
safe  distance  from  the  island,  while  her  remain 
ing  crew  were  transferred  to  the  Zephyr. 

A  rude  raft,  which  had  been  provided  by  Tony, 
was  towed  to  the  shore,  where  an  abundance  of 
rocks  were  to  be  had.  It  was  their  intention  to 
load  it  with  "lighthouse  material, "and  tow  it  to 


120  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

the  islancu  it  required  all  their  skill  to  accom 
plish  this  object,  for  the  raft  was  a  most  ungainly 
thing  to  manage.  The  Zephyr  was  so  long  that 
they  could  not  row  round  so  as  to  bring  the  raft 
alongside  the  bank,  and  when  they  attempted  to 
push  it  in,  the  paint,  and  even  the  planks  of  the 
boat,  were  endangered. 

"Can't  get  it  in — can  we?"  said  Charles 
Hardy,  after  several  unsuccessful  attempts. 

' '  There  is  no  such  word  as  fail, "  replied  William. 
"  Bring  me  the  long  painter." 

The  coxswain  unfastened  the  tow  line  of  the 
raft,  and  tied  the  painter  to  it. 

"  Bowman,  stand  by  with  the  boat-hook,  ready 
to  land." 

"  Ay,   ay  !  " 

"Now,  pull  steady;  be  careful  she  does  not 
grind  on  the  rocks ;  easy,  there.  Four  of  you 
jump  ashore." 

The  four  forward  rowers  obeyed  the  command. 

"  Now  pass  this  line  ashore,  and  let  them  pull 
in  on  the  raft,"  continued  William. 

"Hurrah!  there  she  is!"  shouted  Frank. 
"  That  was  done  handsomely  !  " 

"We  could  have  done  it  before,  if  we  had  only 
thought  of  it, "  replied  William,  laughing.  ' '  Now- 
put  out  the  fenders,  and  haul  the  boat  alongside 
the  raft." 

Four  more  of  the  boys  were  sent  on  shore  to 
help  roll  down  the  rocks,  and  two  were  ordered 
upon  the  raft  to  place  them.  A  great  deal  of 
hard  work  was  done  in  a  very  short  time  ;  but, 
as  it  was  play,  no  one  minded  it,  as  probably 
some  of  them  would  if  the  labor  had  been  for  any 
useful  purpose.  In  due  time  the  raft  was  loaded 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  121 

with  all  It  would  carry,  and  the  boys  were  ordered 
into  the  boat  again. 

The  raft  proved  to  be  a  very  obstinate  sailer. 
After  a  deal  of  hard  tugging  at  the  oars,  they  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  it  under  a  tolerable  headway  ; 
but  the  tow  line  was  not  properly  attached,  and 
it  "heeled  over  "so  as  to  be  in  danger  of  "spill 
ing"  its  load  into  the  lake.  Prudence  and  good 
management,  however,  on  the  part  of  the  cox 
swain,  conveyed  it  in  safety  to  the  island,  and  its 
freight  soon  became  "part  and  parcel "  of  the 
lighthouse. 

Two  or  three  loads  more  were  brought,  after 
the  lesson  of  experience  obtained  in  getting  the 
first,  with  but  comparatively  little  difficulty  ;  and 
at  six  o'clock  the  tower  received  its  capstone  at  a 
height  of  six  feet  from  the  ground,  and  twelve 
from  the  water. 

The  lighthouse  was  then  inaugurated  by.  a 
volley  of  cheers.  A  hollow  pumpkin  of  last 
year's  growth,  containing  a  lighted  candle,  was 
placed  upon  the  apex  ;  and  then  the  boats  de 
parted  for  home.  At  eight  o'clock,  when  the 
darkness  had  gathered  upon  the  lake,  they  saw 
the  light  from  their  homes,  and  had  the  satisfac 
tion  of  knowing  that  the  light-keeper  was  watch 
ful  of  the  safety  of  vessels  in  those  waters. 

As  Charles  Hardy  passed  through  the  grove  on 
his  way  home,  after  the  club  separated,  he  met 
Tim  Bunker,  who  was  apparently  awaiting  his 
coming. 


114  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    CONSPIRACY. 

"WELL,  Charley,  my  pipe  is  out,"  said  Tim 
Bunker,  as  he  joined  his  late  associate  in  the 
club. 

"It  was  rather  sudden,"  replied  Charles,  dis 
concerted  by  the  meeting,  for  he  had  actually 
made  up  his  mind  to  keep  out  of  Tim's  way.  "  I 
didn't  expect  any  such  thing." 

"I  did ;  I  knew  old  Sedley  meant  to  get  rid  of 
me." 

Tim  always  knew  everything  after  it  was  done. 
He  was  a  very  profound  prophet,  but  he  had 
sense  enough  to  keep  his  predictions  to  himself. 

"You  did  not  say  so,"  added  Charles,  who 
gave  the  Bunker  credit  for  all  the  sagacity  he 
claimed. 

"  It  was  no  use  ;  it  would  only  have  frightened 
you,  and  you  are  chickenish  enough  without  any 
help.  But  no  matter,  Charley  ;  for  my  part,  I 
am  glad  he  turned  me  out.  He  only  saved  me 
the  trouble  of  getting  out  myself." 

"  Did  you  really  mean  to  leave?  " 

"To  be  sure  I  did." 

"What  for?" 

"Because  I  didn't  like  the  company,  to  say 
nothing  of  being  nosed  round  by  Frank  Sedley, 
Bill  Bright,  or  wljoever  happened  to  be  coxswain, 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  I«$ 

If  you  had  been  coxswain,  Charley,  I  wouldn't 
minded  it,"  replied  Tim,  adroitly. 

"  But  I  wouldn't  nose  the  fellows  round,"  re 
plied  Charles,  tickled  with  Tim's  compliment. 

"  I  know  you  wouldn't ;  but  they  wouldn't 
make  you  the  coxswain.  They  hate  you  too 
much  for  that." 

"It  is  strange  they  haven't  elected  me,"  said 
Charles,  musing-. 

' '  That's  a  fact !  You  know  more  about  a  boat 
than  three  quarters  of  them." 

"I  ought  to." 

"And  you  do." 

Charles  had  by  this  time  forgotten  the  promise 
he  had  made  to  Captain  Sedley — forgotten  the 
good  resolution  he  had  made  to  himself.  Tim's 
flattery  had  produced  its  desired  effect,  and  all 
the  ground  which  the  Bunker  had  lost  was  now 
regained. 

"I  am  sorry  they  turned  you  out,  Tim,"  said 
he, 

"I   am  glad  of  it.     They  will  turn  you  out 
next,  Charley." 
'Me!" 
'Yes." 
'  Why  should  they  ?  " 

Because  they  don't  like  you." 
'They  wouldn't  do  that." 
'Don't  you  believe  it,"  replied  Tim,  shaking 
his  head,  ana  putting  on  a  very  wise  look.      "  I'll 
bet  they'll  turn  you  out  in  less  than  a  month." 

"Do  you  know  anything  about  it?  " 

"Not  much." 

They  had  now  reached  the  end  of  the  grove, 
and  Tim  suggested  that  they  should  take  seats 


184  ALL  ABOARD,  Oft 

and  "talk  over  matters."  Charles  readily 
assented,  and  they  seated  themselves  by  the 
margin  of  the  lake. 

"What  do  you  know,  Tim?"  asked  Charles, 
his  curiosity  very  much  excited. 

"  I  only  know  that  they  don't  like  you,  and 
they  mean  to  turn  you  out." 

"  I  don't  believe  it." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  I  lie  ?  " 

"No,  no;  only  I  can't  think  they  would  turn 
me  out." 

"  I  heard  Frank  say  as  much,"  replied  Tim,  in 
differently. 

"  Did  you." 

"To  be  sure  I  did." 

Charles  stopped  to  think  how  mean  it  was  of 
Frank  to  try  to  get  him  out  of  the  club  ;  how 
hypocritical  he  was,  to  treat  him  as  a  friend  when 
he  meant  to  injure  him.  It  did  not  occur  to  him 
that  Tim  had  told  a  falsehood,  though  it  was 
generally  believed  that  he  had  as  lief  tell  a  lie  as 
the  truth. 

"  You  are  a  fool  if  you  let  them  kick  you  out, 
as  they  did  me,"  continued  Tim. 

"  What  can  I  do  ?  " 

"Leave  yourself." 

"Next  week  is  vacation  ;  and  we  have  laid  out 
some  first-rate  fun. " 

"There  will  be  no  fun,  let  me  tell  you." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Tim?" 

"  If  you  want  to  be  the  coxswain  of  a  boat  as 
good  as  the  Zephyr  next  week,  only  say  the 
word,"  replied  Tim,  slapping  him  on  the  back. 

' '  How  can  that  be  ?  "  asked  Charles,  looking 
with  surprise  at  his  companion. 


IIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  12$ 

"And  you  shall  have  as  good  a  crew  as  the 
Zephyr  ;  better  fellers  than  they  are,  too." 

"  I  don't  understand  you." 

"  You  shall  in  due  time." 

"Tell  me  what  you  mean,  Tim." 

"  Will  you  join  us  ?  " 

"Tell  me  about  it,  first." 

"And  let  you  blow  the  whole  thing?" 

"  I  won't  say  a  word." 

"Will  you  promise  not  to  say  anything?" 

"Yes." 

"  Will  you  swear  it  ?  " 

Tim  had  read  a  great  many  "yellow-covered" 
books  in  his  time,  in  which  tall  buccaneers  with 
long-  beards  and  bloodshot  eyes  required  their 
victims  to  "swear,"  and  he  seemed  to  attach 
some  importance  to  the  ceremony.  Charles 
"  swore, "  though  with  considerable  reluctance, 
not  to  reveal  the  secret,  when  it  should  be  im 
parted  to  him. 

"You  must  join  our  society,  now." 

"Society  ?  " 

"Yes;  we  meet  to-night  at  eight  o'clock,  in 
the  woods  back  of  my  house." 

' '  What  sort  of  a  society  is  it,  Tim  ?  "  asked 
Charles,  with  a  great  many  misgivings. 

"That  you  shall  learn  when  we  meet.  Will 
you  come  ?  " 

"My  father  won't  let  me  go  out  in  the  even 
ing.  " 

"Run  out,  then." 

Tim  suggested  various  expedients  for  deceiving 
his  parents,  and  finally  Charles  promised  to  attend 
the  meeting. 

"  You  haven't  told  me  the  secret  yet." 


126  ALL   ABOARD,    OR 

"The  society  is  going  to  camp  on  Center  Isl 
and  next  week,  and  we  are  going  to  take  the 
Zephyr  and  the  Butterfly  along  with  us." 

"Take  them?  How  are  you  going  to  get 
them  ? " 

"  Why,  take  them,  you  fool  !  " 

"  Do  you  mean  to  steal  them?  " 

"  Humph  !     We  mean  to  take  them." 

"But  do  you  suppose  Captain  Sedley  and 
George  Weston  will  let  you  keep  them  ?  " 

"  They  can't  help  themselves.  We  shall  take 
the  Sylph,  and  every  other  boat  on  the  lake,  with 
us,  so  that  no  one  can  reach  us.  Do  you  under 
stand  it? " 

"I  do ;  but  how  long  do  you  mean  to  stay 
there  ? " 

"All  the  week." 

"  And  sleep  on  the  ground  ?  * 

"  We  can  have  a  tent.'' 

'•'  How  will  you  live?  " 

"  We  shall  carry  off  enough  to  eat  beforehand." 
Then  you  see,  we  can  sail  as  much  as  we  please, 
and  have  a  first-rate  time  on  the  island.  I  shall 
be  coxswain  of  one  boat,  and  you  shall  of  the 
other  if  you  like. " 

"  But  we  shall  have  to  come  home  some  time." 

"  In  about  a  week," 

"  What  would  my  father  do  to  me  then  ?  " 

"Nothing,  if  you  manage  right.  If  he  offers 
to,  just  tell  him  you  will  run  away  and  go  to 
sea.  He  won't  do  nothing  then." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that." 

"He  won't  kill  you,  anyhow.  And  you  will 
have  a  week's  fun,  such  as  you  never  had  before 
in  your  life. " 


MFE  ON  THE   LAKE.  127 

"The  Zephyrs  won't  have  anything  to  do  with 
nae  after  that." 

"They  hate  you,  Charley,  and  all  they  want  is 
to  get  you  out  of  the  club.  You  are  a  fool  if  you 
don't  leave  yourself  !  " 

Charles  paused  to  consider  the  precious  scheme 
which  had  thus  been  revealed  to  him.  To  spend 
a  week  on  the  island,  and  not  only  to  be  his  own 
master  for  that  time,  but  command  one  of  the 
boats,  pleased  him  very  much.  It  was  so  roman 
tic,  and  so  grateful  to  his  vanity,  that  he  was 
tempted  to  comply  with  the  offer.  But  then  the 
scheme  was  full  of  peril.  He  would  ' '  lose  caste  " 
with  the  Zephyrs  ;  though,  if  Tim's  statement  was 
true,  he  was  already  sacrificed.  His  father  would 
punish  him  severely  ;  but  perhaps  Tim's  sugges 
tion  would  be  available,  and  he  knew  his  mother 
would  be  so  glad  to  see  him  when  he  returned, 
that  she  would  save  him  from  the  effects  of  his 
father's  anger.  His  conscience  assured  him,  too, 
that  it  would  be  wrong  for  him  to  engage  in  such 
a  piece  of  treachery  towards  his  friends ;  but 
Tim  declared  they  were  not  his  friends — that 
they  meant  to  ruin  him. 

Thus  he  reasoned  over  the  matter,  and  thus  he 
got  rid  of  the  objections  as  fast  as  they  occurred 
to  him.  While  he  was  thinking-  about  it,  Tim 
continued  to  describe  in  glowing  colors  the  fun 
they  could  have  ;  occasionally  relating  some  ad 
venture  of  "Mike  Martin,"  "Dick  Turpin."  01 
other  villain,  whose  lives  and  exploits  were  the 
only  literature  he  ever  read. 

But  Charles  could  not  fall  at  once.  There  were 
some  difficulties  which  he  could  not  get  over.  It 
wreag  to  do  as  Tim  proposed ;  it  was  so 


I«8  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

written  on  his  soul.  The  "still  small  voice" 
could  not  be  silenced.  As  fast  as  he  reconciled 
one  objection,  another  came  up,  and  something 
in  his  bosom  kept  saying,  "You  must  not  do  it.' 

The  more  he  thought,  the  more  imperative  was 
the  command.  "  Run  away  as  fast  as  you  can  !  " 
said  the  voice  within  him.  "  You  are  tempted  ; 
flee  from  the  temptation. " 

"  I  guess  I  won't  join  you,  Tim,"  said  he. 

"You  won't,  eh?"  replied  Tim,  with  a  sneer. 

"  I  think  not ;  I  don't  believe  it  is  right.  But  I 
won't  say  anything  about  it." 

"  I  rather  guess  you  won't.  It  wouldn't  be 
safe  for  you  to  do  so." 

"  I  won't,  upon  my  honor,  Tim,"  replied  Charles, 
rising  from  his  seat,  and  edging  away  from  his 
dangerous  companion. 

' '  Look  here,  Charley  Hardy ;  in  one  word, 
you've  got  to  join  the  Rovers." 

"The  what?" 

"That's  the  name  of  a  society,"  answered 
Tim,  who  had  mentioned  it  without  intending  to 
do  so. 

It  was  certainly  a  piratical  appellation,  and 
Charles  was  not  prepossessed  by  it  in  favor  of  the 
society.  It  had  a  ring  of  bold  and  daring  deeds, 
and  his  studies  had  not  prepared  him  to  entertain 
a  very  high  opinion  of  Tim's  heroes,  Dick  Turpin 
and  Captain  Kidd, 

"You  can't  back  out  now,  Maater  Hardy," 
continued  Tim. 

"  I  don't  want  to  join  you,  but  Inen't  say  a 
word." 

"Very  well,  my  in«  fellow  1  "  and  Tim  ro»e 
and  walked  away  toward*  home. 


THE    LAKE.  129 

Charles  did  not  like  this.  He  was  afraid  of 
Tim  ;  afraid  that  some  terrible  thing  would  hap 
pen  to  him  if  he  did  not  keep  on  the  right  side  of 
him. 

Like  thousands  of  others,  he  had  not  the 
courage  to  do  his  duty,  and  leave  the  conse 
quences  to  take  care  of  themselves.  He  was  more 
afraid  of  the  Bunker  than  of  the  frowns  of  an  ac 
cusing  conscience. 

"  I  say,  Tim  !  "  he  called. 

"Vv'ell,  what  you  want  now  ?"  replied  Tim, 
stopping. 

pnose  I  don't  join  ?  " 

lv  Then  you  will  be  in  Rippleton  jail  before  to 
morrow  ni<rht  :  that's  all." 

"What  for?" 

"No  matter;  if  you  come  to  the  meeting  to 
night,  all  right;  if  you  don't — Rippleton  jail;" 
and  Tim  hastened  away,  heedless  of  Charles's 
calls: 

Rippleton  jail  !  What  could  he  mean  by 
that?  He  felt  guilty,  and  his  heart  beat  so  vio 
lently  that  he  could  hardly  breathe.  The  stolen 
purse,  which  still  lay  buried  on  Center  Island, 
seemed  to  haunt  him,  and  with  that  he  immedia 
tely  connected  Tim's  dreadful  threat.  His  con 
federate  meant  to  charge  him  with  stealing  it. 
It  was  all  very  plain,  and  his  conscience  told  him 
how  justly  he  would  be  accused.  He  could  not 
go  to  jail  innocent,  as  Tony  had.  and  be  borne 
home  in  triumph  from  the  court  by  the  boat  club. 

His  frame  trembled  with  emotion  ;  and  he  knew 
not  what  to  do.  There  was  a  right  way  and  a 
wrong  way  for  him  to  proceed — the  path  of  duty 
and  the  path  of  error. 

9 


130  ALL  ABOARD,   OK 

"I  will  go  to  Captain  Sedley  and  tell  him  ah 
about  it,"  said  he  to  himself,  "  and  tell  him  that 
they  mean  to  steal  the  boats." 

This  was  the  path  of  duty  ;  but  he  had  not  the 
courage  to  walk  in  it.  He  would  be  despised 
even  then,  and  Tim  Bunker  would  certainly  be 
revenged  if  he  did. 

"  I  will  go  ;  "  and  he  actually  walked  a  short 
distance  towards  Captain  Sedley's  house  ;  but 
lis  courage  failed  him  ;  he  dared  not  do  right, 
And  that  evening  he  joined  the  "  Rovers." 

Poor  Charles  1 


UR  ON  THE  LAKE. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  "ROVERS." 

AFTER  Charles  Han  y  had  joined  the  "  Rovers  n 
band,  which  was  composed  of  the  original  Bunk 
ers,  with  others  whom  Tim  had  collected  to 
gether,  his  conscience  proved  less  troublesome. 
The  first  wrong  step  taken,  the  second  follows 
with  less  compunction,  and  so  on,  till  the  moral 
sense  is  completely  blunted. 

At  the  meeting  he  was  informed  by  Tim  that 
he  had  been  admitted  to  the  society  on  account 
of  his  knowledge  of  boats.  They  could  not  get 
along  without  such  a  fellow  ;  and  he  was  accord 
ingly  appointed  "master  of  marine,"  and  second 
in  command  to  Tim  himself.  These  honors  and 
compliments  reconciled  him  to  the  society  of  the 
Rovers,  and  he  began  to  exhibit  his  energy  of 
purpose  in  directing  the  details  of  the  next  week's 
operations. 

Saturday  was  appointed  as  the  day  for  stocking 
the  island  with  provisions  and  other  necessaries, 
ready  for  the  reception  of  the  entire  party  on  Sun 
day  night.  Tim  and  Charles  were  to  attend  to 
this  duty  in  person. 

"  Meet  me  at'eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  over 
by  Joe  Braman's  landing,  Charley,  and ' 

"  But  school  keeps  ;  I  can't  go  till  afternoon." 

"And  then  the  Zephyrs  will  see  what  we  are 
about" 


I^S  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

"I  can't  help  it." 

"Yes  you  can;  can't  you  '  hook  Jack '?" 

"I  dare  not." 

"  Humph  !  You  are  an  idiot !  Tell  the  fellows 
to-morrow  that  you  are  going  over  to  your  uncle's, 
and  they  will  tell  the  master." 

Charles  consented,  after  some  argument. 

"  I  will  get  Joe's  boat,  and  we  can  pull  off  to 
the  island  and  get  the  money." 

"Where  will  you  buy  the  things?" 

"We  must  go  down  to  Rippleton.  You  must 
get  some,  and  I  will  get  some.  We  will  buy 
them  at  different  stores,  so  no  one  will  know  but 
what  they  are  for  the  folks. " 

"And  the  tent?" 

"We  will  get  a  piece  of  cotton  cloth  for  that, 
and  some  needles  and  thread.  Leave  all  that  to 
me.  Now,  be  on  hand  in  season." 

"  One  thing,  Tim  :  I  may  be  seen  in  Rippleton. " 

"No  matter  if  you  are.  Bluff 'em  off  if  they 
say  anything." 

The  Rovers  were  to  "rendezvous" — Tim  had 
found  this  word  in  the  "Adventures  of  the  Bold 
Buccaneer  " — at  nine  o'clock  on  Sunday  evening 
at  the  wood.  The  arrangements  were  all  com 
pleted,  and  the  band  dispersed. 

On  Saturday  Charles  was  true  to  his  appoint 
ment,  and  met  Tim  on  the  north  side  of  the  lake. 
The  money  was  procured,  and  the  provisions  were 
safely  deposited  in  the  boat.  It  is  true,  Charles 
was  so  much  embarrassed  that  he  well-nigh  be 
trayed  the  existence  of  the  plot  to  the  shopkeep 
ers  ;  and  he  was  very  glad  when  this  part  of  the 
business  was  done. 

Then  a  new  difficulty  presented  itself.     Sup- 


ON   THE   LAKE.  133 

pose  the  Zephyrs  should  visit  Center  Island  that 
afternoon  and  discover  the  stores  !  They  had  not 
thought  of  this  before,  and  the  risk  was  too  great 
to  be  incurred.  They  decided  to  conceal  their 
stores  on  the  main  shore  till  night,  and  then  carry 
them  off.  A  convenient  place  was  found  for  this 
purpose,  and  the  articles  were  landed. 

They  then  repaired  to  the  island  to  mature  their 
plans. 

"  Now,  where  shall  we  pitch  the  tent?"  asked 
Charles,  when  they  landed. 

"  On  the  high  ground  near  the  beach." 

"We  have  no  poles.  Here  is  the  May-pole; 
that  will  do  for  one." 

"  We  can't  pitch  the  tent,  soldier  fashion.  We 
must  drive  down  four  forked  stakes ;  then  put 
poles  on  the  forks,  and  cover  the  whole  with 
cloth." 

"  But  where  are  the  stakes  and  the  poles  ? " 

"We  can  cut  them  in  the  woods.  We  will  get 
Joe  Braman's  ax,  and  do  it  this  forenoon." 

"Suppose  they  should  make  a  raft,  and  come 
off  to  us  ?  "  suggested  Charles. 

"We  have  two  fast  boats,  and  can  easily  keep 
v/ut  of  their  way,"  replied  Tim.  "  If  they  want 
to  fight  we  can  beat  them  off." 

Charles  did  not  approve  of  fighting,  and  thought 
it  would  be  bad  policy.  Tim  was  tolerably  tract 
able  now  that  he  was  having  his  own  way,  and 
was  not  very  strenuous  in  support  of  his  own 
pugnacious  views.  When  their  plans  were  fully 
digested  they  left  the  island  to  prepare  the  stakes. 
Before  noon  they  separated,  and  the  truant  re 
turned  home  about  the  usual  time. 

That  afternoon  he  joined  the  Zephyrs  in  an  ex- 


ALL   ABOARD,   OR 

cursion  up  the  lake,  and  another  lighthouse  was 
erected  in  the  vicinity  of  a  dangerous  reef. 

"  What  shall  we  do  next  week  ?  "asked  Charles, 
as  they  were  returning  home. 

"We  are  going  up  the  river,"  replied  Frank. 
"  My  father  has  consented  to  it." 

'•  Has  he  ?     That  will  be  first  rate." 

"  And  so  has  George  Weston." 

Charles  relapsed  into  deep  thought.  He  was 
thinking  how  much  better  he  could  enjoy  himself 
with  good  boys  than  with  such  fellows  as  the 
Rovers  ;  for,  though  he  was  "master  of  marine" 
among  them,  he  could  not  help  acknowledging  to 
himself  that  they  were  not  pleasant  companions. 
They  used  profane  and  vulgar  language  ;  were 
always  disposed  to  quarrel.  Disputes  which  were 
settled  peaceably  in  the  clubs  were  decided  by  a 
fight  among  the  Rovers  ;  and  the  ambitious 
"  master  "  had  many  misgivings  as  to  his  ability 
to  control  them.  Tim  could  manage  them  very 
well  ;  for,  if  one  was  turbulent,  he  struck  him  and 
knocked  him  down  ;  and  Charles  had  not  the  brute 
courage  to  do  this. 

"  Vv  hat  are  you  thinking  about,  Charley?" 
asked  Frank,  pleasantly. 

"Nothing,"  replied  Charles,  promptly,  as  he 
tried  to  laugh. 

"  You- act  rather  queerly  this  afternoon  ;  just***, 
though  you  had  something  on  your  mind." 

' '  O,  no  ;  nothing  of  the  kind. " 

"I  hope  you  don't  regret  the  expulsion  of  Tim 
Bunker. " 

"Certainly  not." 

Charles  tried  to  be  gay  after  that :  but  he  could 
aot.  Thwtt  was  a  weight  upon  his  soul  which 


1TPE  ON  THE  LAKR  135 

bore  him  down,  and  he  felt  like  a  criminal  in  the 
presence  of  his  companions.  He  was  glad  when 
the  club  landed,  and  the  members  separated — 
glad  to  get  away  from  them,  for  their  happy,  in 
nocent  faces  were  a  constant  reproach  to  him. 

Sunday  was  a  day  of  rest  ;  but  every  moment 
of  it  was  burdened  with  a  sin  against  God  and 
against  himself.  Every  moment  that  he  delayed 
to  repent  was  plunging  him  deeper  and  deeper  in 
error  and  crime.  Strangely  enough,  the  minister 
preached  a  sermon  about  the  Prodigal  Son  ;  and 
the  vivid  picture  he  drew  of  the  return  of  the  err 
ing  wanderer  so  deeply  affected  the  youthful  de 
linquent  that  he  fully  resolved  to  do  his  duty,  and 
expose  the  Rovers'  scheme. 

The  money  had  been  spent  in  part  ;  but,  if  they 
sent  him  to  jail,  it  would  be  better  than  to  con 
tinue  in  wickedness.  Then  he  thought  what  Cap 
tain  Sedley  would  say  to  him  ;  that  the  club  would 
despise  him  ;  and  that  he  would  not  be  permitted 
to  join  the  sports  of  the  coming  week — to  say 
nothing  of  being  put  in  prison. 

But  his  duty  was  plain,  and  he  had  resolved  to 
do  it.  He  had  decided  to  suffer  the  penalty  of 
his  transgression,  whatever  it  might  be,  and  get 
back  again  into  the  right  path  as  soon  as  he  could. 

Happy  would  it  have  been  for  him  had  he  done 
so.  On  his  way  home  from  church  he  unfortu 
nately  met  Tim  Bunker,  who  had  evidently  placed 
himself  in  his  way  to  confirm  his  fidelity  to  the 
Rovers. 

Tim  saw  that  he  was  meditating  something1 
dangerous  to  the  success  of  his  scheme.  Charles 
was  cold  and  distant  He  appeared  to  have  lost 
his  enthusiasm. 


136  ALL    ABOARD,   OR 

"If  you  play  us  false,  it  will  be  all  up  with 
you,"  said  Tim,  in  a  low,  determined  tone.  "  I 
can  prove  that  you  stole  the  purse.  That's  all." 

It  was  enough  to  overthrow  all  Charles's  good 
resolution.  His  fickle  mind,  his  shallow  principle, 
gave  way.  Stifling  his  convictions  of  duty,  and 
silencing  the  "still  small  voice/'  he  went  home  : 
and  there  was  no  joy  in  heaven  over  the  return 
ing  prodigal. 

"Charles,"  said  his  father,  sternly,  as  he  en 
tered  the  house,  "  you  were  not  at  school  yester 
day  !  " 

' '  I  got  late,  and  did  not  like  to  go, "  whined  he. 

"  Where  were  you  ?  " 

"Down  at  the  village." 

"Go  to  your  room,  and  don't  leave  it  without 
permission." 

Charles  obeyed.  The  consequences  of  his 
error  were  already  beginning  to  overtake  him. 
His  father  joined  him  soon  after,  and  talked  to 
him  very  severely.  He  was  really  alarmed,  for 
Captain  Sedley  had  given  him  a  hint  concerning 
his  son's  intimacy  with  Tim  Bunker. 

Charles  was  not  permitted  to  leave  his  room 
that  afternoon,  and  his  supper  was  sent  up  to 
him  ;  but  his  mother  brought  it,  and  consoled 
him  in  his  troubles — promising  to  prevent  his 
father  from  punishing  him  any  more. 

"  Now,  go  to  bed,  Charley ;  never  do  so  again, 
and  it  will  be  all  right  to-morrow, "  said  the  weak 
mother,  as  she  took  her  leave. 

But  Charles  did  not  go  to  bed.  The  family  re 
tired  early  ;  and,  taking  his  great-coat  on  his  arm, 
he  stole  noiselessly  out  of  the  house.  At  nine 
o'clock  he  was  at  the  rendezvous  of  the  Rovers. 


UM  ON  THE  LA$E.  137 

It  was  not  deemed  prudent  to  put  their  plans 
in  execution  till  a  later  hour ;  and  the  band  dis 
persed,  with  instructions  to  meet  again  in  an 
hour  at  Flat  Rock,  where  the  boats  would  be  in 
readiness  to  take  them  off  to  the  island. 

Tim  and  Charles,  with  four  others,  immediately 
repaired  to  the  place  where  Joe  Braman's  boat, 
which  had  been  hired  for  the  enterprise,  was  con 
cealed.  Seating  themselves  in  it,  they  waited 
till  the  hour  had  expired,  and  then,  with  muffled 
oars,  pulled  up  to  the  Butterfly's  house. 

The  doors  which  opened  out  upon  the  lake 
were  not  fastened,  and  an  entrance  was  readily 
effected.  The  boat  was  loosed,  pushed  out  into 
the  lake  without  noise,  and  towed  down  to  the 
Zephyr's  house.  But  here  the  doors  were  found 
to  be  fastened  ;  and  one  of  the  boys  had  to  enter 
by  a  window,  and  draw  the  bolt.  The  boat  was 
then  secured  without  difficulty. 

"  Now,  Charley,  you  get  into  the  Zephyr  with 
two  fellows,  and  tow  the  Sylph  off,"  said  Tim,  in 
a  whisper. 

"  Shan't  I  get  my  crew  first  ?" 

"Just  as  you  like." 

Charles  and  his  two  companions  got  into  the 
Zephyr  and  worked  her  down  to  the  rock,  where 
he  received  his  crew.  It  was  found  then  that 
some  of  the  Rovers  had  not  yet  made  their 
appearance,  so  that  there  were  only  ten  boys  te 
each  boat 

Although  the  success  of  the  criminal  under 
taking  required  the  utmost  caution,  Charles  found 
his  command  were  disposed  to  be  very  boisterous, 
and  all  his  efforts  would  hardly  keep  them  quiet. 
After  some  trouble  he  got  away  from  the  shore ; 


138  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

but  his  crew,  from  the  want  of  discipline,  were 
utterly  incapable  of  pulling  in  concert.  They 
had  not  taken  three  strokes  before  they  were  all 
in  confusion — tumbling  off  the  thwarts,  knocking 
each  other  in  the  back,  and  each  swearing  at  and 
abusing  his  companions. 

"  Hold  your  jaw,  there  !  "  called  Tim  Bunker, 
in  a  low  tone,  from  the  Butterfly. 

"Cease  rowing  !  "  said  Charles. 

But  they  would  not  "cease  rowing,"  and  the 
prospect  was  that  a  general  'fight  would  soon  en 
sue  in  spite  of  all  the  coxswain's  efforts  to  restore 
order.  At  last  Tim  came  alongside,  and  rapping 
two  or  three  of  the  turbulent  Rovers  over  the 
head  with  a  boathook,  he  succeeded  in  quieting 
them. 

After  several  attempts  Charles  got  them  so  they 
could  pull  without  knocking  each  other  out  of  the 
boat  ;  but  he  was  heartily  disgusted  with  his 
crew,  and  would  gladly  have  escaped  from  them, 
even  if  Rippleton  Jail  had  yawned  to  receive  him. 
After  half  a  dozen  trials  he  placed  the  Zephyr 
alongside  the  Sylph,  let  go  her  moorings,  and 
took  her  in  tow.  The  Rovers  then  pulled  for  the 
island  ;  but  the  passage  thither  was  long  and 
difficult 


CHAPTER  XVL 

THE   CAMP  ON   THE    ISLANIX 

As  the  crew  of  the  Zephyr  tugged  at  their  oars, 
their  imperfect  discipline  imposing  double  labor 
upon  them,  Charles  had  an  opportunity  to  con 
sider 'his  position.  The  bright  color  of  romance 
which  his  fancy  had  given  to  the  enterprise  was 
gone.  The  night  air  was  cold  and  damp,  and 
his  companions  in  error  were  repulsive  to  him. 
There  was  no  pleasure  in  commanding  such  a 
motley  crew  of  ill-natured  and  quarrelsome 
bullies,  and.  if  it  had  been  possible,  he  wotild 
have  fled  from  them.  Who  plunges  into  vice 
may  find  himself  in  a  snare  from  which  he  can 
not  escape  though  he  would. 

At  last  they  reached  the  island,  and  the  Sylph 
was  anchored  near  the  shore.  There  was  a  great 
deal  of  hard  work  to  be  done  ;  but  each  of  the 
Rovers  seemed  to  expect  the  others  would  do  it. 

"Now,  Charley,  everything  is  right  so  far," 
said  Tim  Bunker,  whose  party  had  just  drawn 
Joe  Braman's  boat  upon  the  beach. 

"Everything  is  wrong,"  Charles  wanted  to 
say  ;  but  Tim  was  too  powerful  to  be  lightly 
offended. 

"  I  can  do  nothing  with  such  a  crew  as  that," 
whined  he.  "They  won't  mind,  and  every  fellow 
wants  his  own  way." 


I4O  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

"  Hit  'em  if  they  don't  mind,"  replied  Tim. 

"I  think  we  had  better  spend  an  hour  in  drill 
ing-  them.  We  can't  handle  the  boat  as  it  is." 

"  We  must  get  the  tents  up  before  we  do  any 
thing1  else.  You  go  after  the  stakes  and  poles 
and  I  will  get  the  provisions." 

Before  the  crews  returned  to  the  boats,  Tim 
made  a  little  speech  to  them  upon  the  necessity 
of  order  ;  promising,  if  any  boy  did  not  obey,  he 
would  thrash  him  "  within  an  inch  of  his  life." 

"  Now  tumble  into  the  boats,  and,  Charley,  if 
any  feller  don't  do  what  you  tell  him,  let  me 
know  it,  and  I  will  lick  him  for  you.'' 

'  •  All  aboard  !  "  said  Charles. 

"  Where  are  we  going  now  ?  "  asked  one  of  his 
crew. 

"  No  matter  ;  all  you  have  got  to  do  is  to  obey 
orders,"  replied  Charles,  sharply. 

"Say  that  again!"  said  the  fellow,  with  an 
oath,  as  he  doubled  up  his  fist,  and  menaced  the 
unfortunate  coxswain  with  a  thrashing. 

"Hallo,  Tim!"  shouted  Charles,  who  dared 
not  venture  to  carry  out  the  Bunker's  summary 
policy. 

"What's  the  row?"  said  Tim,  as  he  hastened 
to  the  spot. 

"I  can't  do  anything  with  this  crew  ;  here  is  „ 
fellow  shaking  his  fist  in  my  face." 

"Let  him  be  civil  then,"  added  the  refractory 
Rover. 

"  It  was  you,  was  it,  Barney  ? "  said  Tim,  as  he 
stepped  into  the  boat. 

"I'll  bet  it  was, "  replied  the  fellow,  standing 
upon  the  defensive. 

"Take  that,  then,"  continued  the  "chief,"  as 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  24$ 

he  brought  his  fist  down  upon  the  rebel  with  such 
force  that  he  tumbled  over  the  side  of  the  boat 
into  the  water.  "You  want  to  get  up  a  mutiny 
— don't  you  ?  " 

The  fellow  scrambled  ashore,  wet  through  and 
shivering-  with  cold. 

"You'll  catch  it  for  that,  Tim  Bunker !  "  growled 
Barney. 

"Ill  teach  you  to  mind.  Now,  Charley,  put 
off,  and  don't  be  so  stiff  with  them  yet.  They 
are  not  such  chicken-hearted  pups  as  the  Zephyrs, 
I  can  tell  you  ;  "  and  Tim  stepped  ashore. 

"Take  your  oars  ;  if  you  only  do  as  I  tell  you, 
we  shall  get  along  very  well,"  said  Charles. 
"We  can't  do  anything  unless  you  mind." 

He  then  showed  them  how  to  get  their  oars 
out,  and  how  to  start  together ;  but  they  did  not 
feel  interest  enough  in  the  process  to  pay  much 
attention  to  what  he  said,  and  several  ineffectual 
attempts  were  made  before  they  got  a  fair 
start. 

' '  Hallo  !  Ain't  you  going  to  take  me  ?  "  shouted 
Barney,  from  the  shore,  as  they  were  leaving. 

"  Will  you  obey  orders?  " 

"Yes  ;  but  I  won't  be  kicked." 

"Nobody  wants  to  kick  you,"  replied  Charles, 
who,  deeming  that  the  rebel  had  made  a  satis 
factory  concession,  put  back  after  him. 

"  This  ducking  will  be  the  death  of  me,"  said 
Barney,  as  he  got  into  the  boat. 

"A  little  hard  pulling  will  warm  you,  and 
when  we  get  back,  we  shall  make  a  fire  on  the 
island,"  answered  Charles,  in  a  conciliatory  tone. 
"  Now,  ready — pull !  " 

The  Rovers  worked  better  now,  and  the  Zephyr 


143  ALL   ABOARD,   OK 

moved  with  tolerable  rabidity  towards  the  shore  ; 
but  it  was  very  dark  under  the  shadow  of  the 
trees,  and  Charles  could  not  readily  find  the  place 
where  the  materials  <br  the  tent  had  been  con 
cealed.  Each  of  the  crew  thought  he  knew  more 
about  the  business  than  the  coxswain  ;  and  in 
the  scrape  the  Zephyr  was  run  aground,  heeled 
over  on  one  side,  and  filled  half  full  of  water. 

It  required  some  time  to  bail  her  out ;  but  it 
was  accomplished  at  last,  the  stakes  and  poles 
put  on  board,  and  they  rowed  off  to  the  island 
again.  Tim  had  arrived  before  him,  and  had 
landed  the  stores. 

"  Where  are  the  matches,  Tim  ?  "  asked  Charles. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ? " 

"Make  a  fire." 

"What  for?" 

"Some  of  us  are  wet,  and  we  can't  see  to  put 
up  the  tents  without  it.  " 

"But  a  tire  will  betray  us." 

"  What  matter?     We  are  safe  from  pursuit." 

"Go  it,  then,"  replied  Tim,  as  he  handed 
Charles  a  bunch  of  matches. 

The  fire  was  kindled,  and  it  cast  a  cheerful 
light  over  the  scene  of  their  operations. 

' '  Now,  Rovers,  form  a  ring-  round  the  fire, "  said 
Tim,  "and  we  will  fix  things  for  the  future." 

The  boys  obeyed  this  order,  though  Barney,  in 
consideration  of  his  uncomfortable  condition,  was 
permitted  to  lie  down  before  the  fire  and  dry  his 
clothes. 

"  I  am  the  chief  of  the  band  ;  I  suppose  that  is 
understood,"  continued  Tim. 

"Yes,"  they  all  replied. 

"And  that  Charley  Hardy  is  second  in 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  143 

mand.  He  can  handle  a  boat,  and  the  rest  of  you 
can't." 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  interposed  one  of 
them.  "  He  upset  the  boat  on  the  beach." 

"  That  was  because  the  crew  did  not  obey 
orders,"  replied  Charles. 

"He  is  second  in  command,"  replied  Tim. 
"  Do  you  agree  to  that  ?  " 

"Yes,"  answered  several,  who  were  willing  to 
follow  the  lead  of  the  chief. 

"Very  well;  shall  command  one  party  and 
Charley  the  other  ;  each  in  his  own  boat  and  on 
the  island.  Now  we  will  divide  each  party  into 
two  squads,  or  watches." 

"What  for?  "  asked  Barney. 

"To  keep  watch,  and  do  any  duty  that  may 
be  wanted  of  them." 

Tim  had  got  this  idea  of  an  organization  from 
his  piratical  literature.  Indeed,  the  plan  of  en 
camping  upon  the  island  was  an  humble  imita- 
.tion  of  a  party  of  buccaneers  who  had  fortified 
one  of  the  smallest  of  the  islands  in  the  West 
Indies.  The  whole  scheme  was  one  of  the 
natural  consequences  of  reading  bad  books,  in 
which  the  most  dissolute,  depraved,  and  wicked 
men  are  made  to  appear  as  heroes,  whose  lives 
and  characters  are  worthy  of  emulation. 

Such  books  fill  boys'  heads  with  absurd,  not  to 
say  wicked  ideas.  I  have  observed  their  influ 
ence  in  the  course  of  ten  years'  experience  with 
boys  ;  and  when  I  see  one  who  has  named  his 
sled  "  Blackboard, "  "Black  Cruiser,"  " Red  Ro 
ver.  "  or  any  such  names,  I  am  sure  he  has  been 
reading  about  the  pirates,  and  has  got  a  taste  for 
their  wild  and  daring  exploits — for  their  deeds  of 


144  ALL   ABOARD,    O* 

blood  and  rapine.  One  of  the  truant  officers  of 
Boston,  whose  duty  it  is  to  hunt  up  runaway 
boys,  related  to  me  a  remarkable  instance  of  the 
influence  of  improper  books.  A  few  years  ago, 
two  truant  boys  were  missed  by  their  parents. 
They  did  not  return  to  their  homes  at  night,  and 
it  was  discovered  that  one  of  them  had  stolen  a 
large  sum  of  money  from  his  father.  A  careful 
search  was  instituted,  and  the  young  reprobates 
were  traced  to  a  town  about  ten  miles  from  the 
city,  where  they  were  found  encamped  in  the 
woods.  They  had  purchased  several  pistols  with 
their  money,  and  confessed  their  intention  of  be 
coming  highwaymen  !  It  was  ascertained  that 
they  had  been  reading  the  adventures  of  Dick 
Turpin,  and  other  noted  highwaymen,  which  had 
given  them  this  singular  and  dangerous  taste  for 
a  life  in  violation  of  the  laws  of  God  and  man. 
My  young  readers  will  see  where  Tim  got  his 
ideas,  and  I  hope  they  will  shun  books  which 
narrate  the  exploits  of  pirates  and  robbers. 

Two  officers  were  chosen  in  each  band  to  com 
mand  the  squads.  Tim  was  shrewd  enough  to 
know  that  the  more  offices  he  created,  the  more 
friends  he  would  insure — members  who  would 
stand  by  him  in  trial  and  difficulty.  In  Charles's 
band,  one  of  these  offices  was  given  to  the  turbu 
lent  Barney ;  his  fidelity  was  thus  secured,  and 
past  differences  reconciled. 

"Now,  Charley,  my  crew  shall  put  «p  one 
tent,  and  yours  the  other." 

"Very  well,"  replied  Charles,  who  derived  a 
certain  feeling  of  security  from  the  organization 
which  had  just  been  completed,  and  he  began  to 
feel  more  at  home. 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  145 

The  stakes  were  driven  down,  and  the  poles 
placed  upon  the  forks ;  but  sewing  the  cloth  to 
gether  for  the  covering  was  found  to  be  so  tedious 
a  job  that  it  was  abandoned.  The  strips  were 
drawn  over  the  frame  of  the  tent,  and  fastened  by 
driving  pins  through  it  into  the  ground.  Then  it 
was  found  that  there  was  only  cloth  enough  to 
cover  one  tent.  Tim's  calculations  had  been 
defective. 

"Here's  a  pretty  fix,"  said  Tim. 

' '  I  have  it, "  replied  Charles.  ' '  Come  with  me, 
Barney,  and  we  will  have  the  best  tent  of  the 
two."" 

Charles  led  the  way  to  the  Sylph,  and  getting 
on  board  of  her  by  the  aid  of  one  of  the  boats, 
they  proceeded  to  unbend  her  sails. 

"Bravo!  Charley,"  said  Barney.  "That's  a 
good  idea  ;  but  why  can't  some  of  us  sleep  in  this 
bit  of  a  cuddy  house  ? " 

"So  we  can.  Here  is  Uncle  Ben's  boat  cloak, 
which  will  make  a  first-rate  bed.  Don't  say  a 
word  about  it,  though,  and  you  and  I  can  have 
it  all  to  ourselves." 

The  sails  were  carried  ashore,  and  were  ample 
covering  for  the  tent.  Dry  leaves,  which  covered 
the  ground,  were  then  gathered  up  and  put  inside 
for  their  bed. 

"  Now,  Tim,  they  are  finished,  and  for  one,  I 
begin  to  feel  sleepy, "said  Charles. 

"We  can't  all  sleep,  you  know,"  added  the 
prudent  chief. 

"Why  not?" 

"We  must  set  a  watch." 

"I  am  too  sleepy  to  watch,"  said  Charles, with 
a  long  gape.      "The  clock  has  just  struck  one." 
10 


146  ALL  ABOARD,  Oft 

"You  needn't  watch,  you  are  the  second  in 

command." 

"I  see,"  replied  Charles,  standing  upon  his 
dignity. 

"There  are  four  watches,  and  each  must  do 
duty  two  hours  a  night.  Who  shall  keep  the  first 
watch  ?  ". 

•'  1  will/'  said  Barney. 

"Good!  You  must  keep  the  fire  going,  and 
have  an  eye  to  both  sides  of  the  island." 

"  Ay,  ay." 

"  And  you  must  go  down  to  the  boats 
every  time  the  clock  strikes,  to  see  if  they  are  all 
right.  If  they  should  get  adrift,  you  know,  our 
game  would  be  up." 

"  I'll  see  to  it." 

"At  three  o'clock,  you  must  call  the  watch 
that  is  to  relieve  you." 

"Who  will  that  be?" 

"I,"  volunteered  the  three  other  officers  of  the 
watches,  in  concert. 

"Ben,  you  shall  relieve  him.  If  anything 
happens,  call  me." 

Tim  and  his  followers  then  retired  to  their  tent, 
and  buried  themselves  in  the  leaves.  Charles 
ordered  those  of  his  band  who  were  not  on  duty 
to  "turn  in  ;"  saying  that  he  wanted  to  warm 
his  feet.  The  Rovers  were  so  fatigued  by  their 
unusual  labors  that  they  soon  fell  asleep,  and 
Charles  then  repaired  to  the  little  cabin  of  the 
Sylph.  Arranging  the  cloak  for  his  bed,  he 
wrapped  himself  up  in  his  great-coat  and  lay 
down. 

Fatigued  as  he  was,  he  could  not  go  to  sleep. 
The  novelty  of  his  situation,  and  the  guilt,  BOW 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  147 

that  the  excitement  was  over,  which  oppressed 
his  conscience,  banished  that  rest  his  exhausted 
frame  required.  He  heard  the  village  clock  strike 
two  and  three  ;  and  then  he  rose,  unable  to 
endure  the  reproaches  of  his  own  heart. 

"What  a  fool  I  am  !  "  he  exclaimed  to  himself  ; 
and  a  flood  of  tears  came  to  his  relief.  "To 
desert  my  warm  bed,  my  happy  home,  the  friend 
ship  of  my  club,  for  such  a  set  of  fellows  as  this  ! 
O,  how  I  wish  I  had  not  come  !  " 

Leaving  the  cabin,  he  seated  himself  in  the 
stern  sheets  of  the  boat.  The  bright  stars  had 
disappeared,  and  the  sky  was  veiled  in  deep  black 
clouds.  The  wind  blew  very  fresh  from  the 
north-east,  and  he  was  certain  that  a  severe  storm 
was  approaching.  He  wept  bitterly  when  he 
thought  of  the  gloomy  prospect. 

He  had  repented  his  folly,  and  would  have 
given  the  world  to  get  away  from  the  island,  Ah, 
a  lucky  thought  !  He  could  escape  !  The  Rovers 
were  all  asleep  ;  the  fresh  breeze  would  soon 
drive  the  Sylph  to  the  land,  and  he  could  return 
home,  and  perhaps  not  be  missed.  It  was  an 
easy  thing  ;  and  without  further  reflection,  he 
unfastened  the  cable,  and  dropped  it  overboard. 

The  Sylph  immediately  commenced  drifting 
away  from  the  island.  Taking  the  helm,  he  put 
her  before  the  wind,  and  was  gratified  to  observe 
that  she  made  very  good  headway. 

The  clock  struck  four,  and  he  heard  the  footsteps 
of  the  watch  upon  the  shore. 

"Boat  adrift!"  shouted  Ben,  who  was  the 
officer  of  the  watch. 

The  words  were  repeated  several  times,  and  in  a 
few  moments  he  heard  Tim's  voice  summoning 


148  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

his  crew.  Then  the  Butterfly  dashed  down  upon 
him,  and  his  hopes  died  within  him.  But  he  had 
the  presence  of  mind  to  crawl  back  again  to  the 
cabin  ;  and  when  Tim  came  on  board,  he  had  the 
appearance  of  being  sound  asleep,  so  that  the 
chief  did  not  suspect  his  treachery. 


UfB  ON  THE  LAKfc.  149 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    ESCAPE. 

MONDAY  was  a  cold,  dreary,  disagreeable  day. 
The  wind  continued  northeast ;  a  fine,  drizzly 
rain  was  falling,  and  a  thick  fog  had  settled  over 
the  lake,  which  effectually  concealed  the  camp 
of  the  Rovers  from  the  main  shore. 

An  excursion  had  been  planned  for  the  day  by 
the  two  boat  clubs ;  but  the  weather  was  so 
unpropitious  that  it  was  abandoned.  About  nine 
o'clock,  however,  the  members  of  the  clubs 
began,  to  assemble  at  their  halls  in  search  of 
such  recreation  as  could  be  found  indoors. 

Frank  ooened  the  Zephyr's  boat-house  as  usual, 
and  great  was  his  dismay  when  he  discovered 
that  the  boat  was  not  in  its  berth.  Calling  Uncle 
Ben  from  the  stable,  he  announced  to  him  the 
astounding  intelligence  that  the  Zephyr  had  been 
stolen  ! 

"What  does  it  mean,  Uncle  Ben  ?"  he  asked, 
in  deep  anxiety. 

"I  can't  tell  you,  Frank;  only,  as  you  say, 
it  has  been  stolen.  It  couldn't  have  broken 
adrift." 

"Of  course  not;  and  one  of  the  windows  is 
open." 

"That  accounts  for  it,"  replied  Uncle  Ben,  as 
he  walked  down  the  boat-house  and  looked  out 


1£0  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

upon  the  lake.  "I  will  take  the  Sylph  and  hunt 
it  up. " 

"  Let  me  go  with  you,  Uncle  Ben." 

"My  eyes!  but  the  Sylph  is  gone  too!"  ex 
claimed  the  veteran,  as  he  perceived  tl.  "  moor 
ings  afloat  where  she  usually  lay. 

"Strange,  isn't  it?" 

Uncle  Ben  scratched  his  head,  and  did  not 
know  what  to  make  of  it. 

"  Here  comes  Tony,  running  with  all  his 
might,"  continued  Frank.  "  What's  the  matter, 
Tony?" 

"Somebody  has  stolen  the  Butterfly  I"  gasped 
Tony,  out  of  breath. " 

"And  the  Zephyr  and  the  Sylph  !" 

Several  of  the  members  of  the  club  now  arrived, 
and  the  matter  was  thoroughly  discussed. 

"Who  do  you  suppose  stole  them!"  said 
Frank. 

"Who?  why,  Tim  Bunker  of  course,"  replied 
Fred. 

"  But  he  must  have  had  some  help." 

"  Perhaps  not  ;  he  has  done  it  to  be  revenged, 
because  your  father  turned  him  out  of  the  club." 

"Very  likely." 

"May  be  he'll  smash  them  up,"  suggested 
William  Bright. 

"  Have  you  seen  anything  of  Charles  this 
morning?"  asked  Mr.  Hardy,  entering  the  boat- 
house  at  this  moment. 

"No,  sir." 

"He  did  not  sleep  at  home  last  night." 

The  Zephyrs  looked  at  each  other  with  astcn*- 
iihment,  and  most  of  them,  probably,  connected 
with  the  disappearance  of  the  boats.  His 


LIFE   ON   THE   LAKE.  I5T 

intimacy  with  Tim  Bunker  created  a  great  many 
painful  misgivings,  especially  when  Mr.  Hardy 
told  them  that  his  son  had  pla)red  truant  on  Sat 
urday  ;  and  one  of  the  boys  had  heard  of  his 
being  seen  with  Tim  on  that  day.  Various  other 
facts  were  elicited,  which  threw  additional  light 
upon  the  loss  of  the  boats.  Mr.  Hardy  was  in 
great  distress.  It  was  clear  that  his  son  had 
wandered  farther  from  the  path  of  truth  than  he 
had  ever  suspected. 

Frank  had  gone  up  to  the  house  to  inform  his 
father  of  the  loss  of  the  boats,  and  Captain  Sed- 
ley  soon  joined  the  party.  He  sympathized 
deeply  with  Mr.  Hardy,  and  was  satisfied  that 
his  son  could  not  be  far  off.  It  was  impossible 
to  search  the  lake,  as  there  were  no  boats  for  the 
purpose. 

As  nothing  could  be  done  at  present  on  the 
lake,  Captain  Sedley  ordered  his  horse,  with  the 
intention  of  driving  round  it  in  search  of  the 
fugitive  and  of  the  boats.  Mi.  Hardy  was 
invited  to  go  with  him. 

On  their  arrival  at  Rippleton  they  found  that 
Tim  Bunker  was  missing,  as  well  as  a  great 
many  other  boys.  They  continued  to  examine 
the  shores  of  the  lake  till  they  reached  Joe 
Braman's  house,  on  the  north  side. 

Captain  Sedley  inquired  for  his  boat ;  and  Joe, 
after  trying  to  evade  the  truth,  confessed  that  he 
had  let  it  to  Tim  for  a  week,  but  did  not  know 
where  he  had  gone  with  it.  They  were  sure  then 
that  the  boys  were  engaged  in  some  mad  enter 
prise  :  and  at  about  eleven  o'clock  the  two  gentle 
men  reached  home,  without  having  obtained  »»y 
intelligence  of  Charles. 


152  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

"  Have  you  discovered  anything,  Ben?1*  asked 
Captain  Sedley. 

"Yes,  sir;  I  heard  voices  in  the  direction  of 
Center  Island." 

"They  are  there,  then,"  replied  Captain  Sed 
ley,  as  he  repaired  to  the  boat-house. 

About  one  o'clock  the  fog  lifted,  and  revealed 
to  the  astonished  party  the  camp  of  the  Rovers. 
A  large  fire  burned  near  the  two  tents,  around 
which  the  boys  were  gathered,  for  the  weather 
was  so  inclement  as  to  render  Tim's  enterprise 
anything  but  romantic. 

The  Sylph,  the  two  club  boats,  and  Joe  Bra- 
man's  "gondola"  lay  near  the  shore,  apparently 
uninjured. 

"This  is  a  mad  frolic,"  said  Captain  Sedley; 
"but  we  may  be  thankful  it  is  no  worse." 

"My  boy  in  company  with  such  young  scoun 
drels  !  "  added  Mr.  Hardy,  bitterly. 

"He  is  sick  of  them  and  the  adventure  I  will 
warrant." 

"  I  hope  so." 

"Charles  never  did  like  Tim  Bunker,"  sug 
gested  Frank. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Hardy. 

"We  can  do  nothing  ;  they  have  all  the  boats. 
They  have  managed  well,  and  we  are  helpless." 

"Can't  we  build  a  raft,  father?  "    added  Frank. 

"If  we  did,  they  would  take  to  the  boats  and 
keep  out  of  our  way.  Go  to  the  house,  Frank, 
and  bring  me  the  spy-glass.  We  will  examine 
them  a  little  more  closely." 

"They'll  get  enough  on't  afore  to-morrow,"* 
said  Uncle  Ben. 

"It  will  cure  them  of  camping  out" 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  153 

"Tim  said,  the  last  time  he  was  with  us,  that 
we  ought  to  camp  out,"  added  William. 

"The  best  way  is  to  let  them  have  it  out  tiH 
they  are  sick  on't,"  continued  Uncle  Ben.  "It 
won't  hurt  'em  ;  they  won't  get  the  scurvy." 

Captain  Sedley  took  the  glass  on  Frank's  re 
turn,  and  examined  the  camp.  By  its  aid  he 
obtained  a  very  correct  idea  of  their  encamp 
ment.  The  Rovers  were  at  dinner,  and  he  recog 
nized  Charles  Hardy  and  several  of  his  com 
panions.  The  glass  was  taken  by  several  of  the 
party ;  and,  after  this  examination,  even  Mr. 
Hardy  concluded  that  it  was  best  to  make  a 
merit  of  necessity,  and  let  the  foolish  boys  have 
out  their  frolic. 

Soon  after,  the  Rovers  took  to  the  boats,  and 
pulled  up  the  lake.  Then,  the  anxious  party  on 
shore  discovered  that  Charles  was  in  command 
of  the  Zephyr.  With  the  help  of  the  spy-glass, 
they  were  able  to  form  a  very  correct  idea  of  the 
state  of  feeling  on  board  the  boats.  There  was  9. 
great  deal  of  quarreling  in  both  ;  and,  after  they 
had  been  .out  half  an  hour,  a  regular  fight  oc 
curred  in  the  Zephyr. 

About  five  o'clock  they  returned  to  the  island, 
and  before  dark  it  began  to  rain.  All  the  evening 
a  great  fire  blazed  on  the  island ;  but  the  frail 
tents  of  the  Rovers  must  have  been  entirely  inad^ 
equate  to  protect  them  from  the  severity  of  the 
weather. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  Zephyrs,  who  had  spent 
the  evening  in  the  hall,  went  home,  leaving 
Uncle  Ben,  who  had  been  deputed  by  Captain 
Sedley  to  watch  the  Rovers,  still  gazing  through 
kit  night-glass  at  the  camp-fires  on  the  island. 


1 54  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

Soon  after,  discordant  cries  were  wafted  over  the 
waters,  and  it  was  plain  to  the  veteran  that  there 
was  "trouble  in  the  camp."  The  sounds  seemed 
to  indicate  that  a  fight  was  in  progress.  After 
a  time,  however,  all  was  quiet  again,  and  the  old 
sailor  sought  his  bed. 

During  the  night  it  cleared  off,  and  Tuesday 
was  a  bright,  pleasant  day.  It  was  found  in  the 
morning  that  one  of  the  tents'  had  been  moved 
away  from  the  other.  About  nine  o'clock  all  the 
Rovers  gathered  on  the  beach  ;  but  they  were 
divided  into  two  parties,  and  there  seemed  to  be 
a  violent  dispute  between  them.  One  of  the  par 
ties,  as  they  attempted  to  get  into  the  Zephyr, 
was  assaulted  by  the  other,  and  a  fight  ensued, 
in  which  neither  gained  a  victory.  Then  a  par 
ley,  and  each  party  took  one  of  the  boats  and 
pulled  away  from  the  island.  It  was  observed 
that  Charles  was  no  longer  the  coxswain.  He 
seemed  to  have  lost  the  favor  of  his  companions, 
and  several  of  them  were  seen  to  kick  and  strike 
him. 

The  boats  went  in  different  directions — the 
Zephyr  pulling  towards  Rippleton.  When  her 
crew  observed  the  party  who  were  watching  them 
from  the  shore,  they  commenced  cheering  lustily, 
and  the  coxswain,  out  of  bravado,  steered  to 
wards  them. 

"  Who  is  he  ?  "  asked  Frank. 

"It  is  Barney  Ropes,"  replied  Toay.  "He  is 
as  big  a  rascal  as  there  is  out  of  jail. " 

"  Here  they  come." 

"Suppose  we  give  them  a  volley  of  stones," 
rested  Fred  Harper. 

'  •  No  !  "  said  Frank,  firmly. 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  155 

The  boat  was  pulling  parallel  with  the  shore, 
and  not  more  than  ten  rods  from  it.  The  Rov 
ers  yelled,  and  indulged  freely  in  coarse  and 
abusive  language,  as  they  approached.  Charles 
Hardy,  with  averted  face,  was  pulling  the  for 
ward  oar  ;  but  not  one  of  his  former  companions 
hailed  him.  They  pitied  him ;  they  were  sure, 
when  they  saw  his  sad  countenance,  that  he  was 
suffering  intensely. 

Suddenly  Charles  dropped  his  oar,  and  stood  up. 

"See!  Tim  Bunker !"  shouted  he,  pointing  to 
the  opposite  side  of  the  lake. 

All  the  crew  turned  their  eyes  that  way,  and 
Charles,  seizing  his  opportunity,  sprang  with  a 
long  leap  into  the  water. 

The  act  was  so  sudden  that  the  crew  could 
not,  for  a  moment,  recover  from  their  astonish 
ment,  and  Charles  struck  out  lustily  for  the  shore. 

"After  him!"  shouted  Barney;  and  his  com 
panions  "bent  upon  their  oars. 

But  their  excitement  threw  them  into  confusion, 
they  lost  the  stroke,  and  Barney  was  such  a 
bungler  himself  that  he  could  not  get  the  boat 
about. 

"Bravo,  Charley  !  "  shouted  the  Zephyrs. 

"Let  him  go,"  said  Barney,  when  he  realized 
that  the  fugitive  was  beyond  his  reach  ;  and, 
rallying  his  crew,  he  retreated  towards  the  island. 

"  Hurrah,  Charley  !  You  are  safe,"  said  Tony, 
as  he  waded  into  the  water  to  help  him  ashore. 

Charles  was  so  much  exhausted  when  he 
reached  the  land  that  he  could  not  speak. 
Captain  Sedley,  who  had  observed  the  occur 
rence  from  his  library  window,  hastened  down 
to  the  beach, 


156  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

The  penitent  Zephyr,  in  his  agony,  threw  him 
self  on  his  knees  before  him,  and  in  piteous, 
broken  accents  besought  his  pardon.  Captain 
Sedley  was  deeply  moved,  and  they  all  realized 
that  "the  way  of  the  transgressor  is  hard." 

The  sufferer  was  kindly  conveyed  to  his  home 
by  Captain  Sedley,  and  his  father  and  mother 
were  too  glad  at  his  return  to  reproach  him  for 
his  conduct.  When  he  had  changed  his  clothes, 
and  his  emotion  had  in  some  degree  subsided,  he 
confessed  his  errors,  and  solemnly  promised 
never  to  wander  from  the  right  path  again.  And 
he  was  in  earnest ;  he  felt  all  he  said  in  the 
depths  of  his  Boul.  He  had  suffered  intensely 
during  his  transgression  ;  and  his  friends  were 
satisfied  that  he  had  not  sinned  from  the  love  of 
sin.  He  had  been  led  away  by  Tim  Bunker,  and 
bitter  had  been  the  crnsequences  of  his  error. 
He  had  been  punished  enough, — the  sin  had  been 
its  own  punishment, — and  his  father  and  his  club 
freely  forgave  him.  He  was  not  a  hardened  boy, 
and  it  was  probable  that  his  experience  with  the 
Rovers  would  prove  a  more  salutary  correction 
than  any  penalty  that  could  be  inflicted. 

From  Charles  all  the  particulars  of  the  "  frolic" 
were  obtained.  After  his  unsuccessful  attempt 
to  escape  in  the  Sylph,  Tim  had  compelled  him 
to  stay  in  his  tent ;  and,  worn  out  with  fatigue 
and  suffering,  he  had  slept  till  nearly  nine 
o'clock.  He  had  passed  the  day  in  a  state  bor 
dering  upon  misery.  At  night  a  dispute  had 
occurred,  ending  in  a  fight,  in  which  his  lieuten 
ant,  Barney,  had  led  on  the  Zephyr  party.  The 
result  was  a  separation,  and  Charles,  deprived  of 
Tim's  aid,  could  no  longer  sustain  himself.  Bar- 


LIFE   ON    THE    LAKE.  157 

ney  usurped  his  command,  and  treated  him  in  a 
most  shameful  manner. 

Oh,  how  bitterly  did  he  repent  his  folly  and 
wickedness  !  When  they  were  about  to  embark, 
he  attempted  to  go  over  to  Tim's  party.  Barney 
resented  the  attempt,  and  another  fight  ensued. 
Then  he  was  kicked  into  the  boat,  for  his  chief 
could  not  spare  so  able  an  oarsman. 

His  mental  anguish  was  so  great  that  he  could 
no  longer  endure  it ;  and,  in  desperation,  he  had 
made  his  escape,  as  we  have  narrated.  His  case 
was  a  hopeful  one,  and  his  father  cheerfully  re 
mitted  to  Mr.  Walker  the  amount  contained  in 
the  lost  purse,  with  the  mortifying  confession  of 
his  son's  guilt. 


158  AM.  ABOA&A,  OR 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

WRECK  OF  THE  BUTTERFLY. 

THE  next  day  Mr.  Walker  arrived  at  Rippleton 
himself.  The  noble-hearted  gentleman  seemed 
to  be  in  unusually  good  spirits,  and  the  boys 
noticed  that  he  and  Captain  Sedley  often  ex 
changed  significant  glances.  They  were  all  sat 
isfied  that  something  was  about  to  happen,  but 
they  could  not  imagine  what. 

Frank  and  Tony  had  been  requested  to  invite 
their  friends  to  assemble  at  Zephyr  Hall  at  nine 
o'clock,  on  Wednesday  morning;  so  that  when 
Mr.  Walker  entered  the  hall  with  Captain  Sedley, 
the  whole  school,  to  the  number  of  over  seventy, 
were  gathered  there. 

Charles  Hardy  was  there  with  the  rest  ;  but  he 
seemed  to  be  a  different  boy.  He  had  lost  that 
forwardness  which  had  often  rendered  him  a  dis 
agreeable  companion.  He  had  been  forgiven  ; 
Mr.  Walker  had  spoken  to  him  very  kindly,  and 
all  his  friends  treated  him  as  though  nothing  had 
happened  ;  but  for  all  this,  he  could  not  feel  right 
His  sufferings  were  not  yet  ended ;  repentance 
will  not  banish  at  once  the  remembrance  of  former 
sin  and  error.  There  was  a  deep  feeling  of  com 
miseration  manifested  towards  him  by  his  associ 
ates.  He  was  to  them  the  returned  prodigal, 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  159 

tuey  would  fain   have  killed  the    fatted    calf  in 
honor  of  his  happy  restoration. 

The  Zephyrs  and  the  Butterflies  wore  their  uni 
forms,  and  Mr.  Walker  was  so  excited  that  all  the 
boys  were  sure  a  good  time  was  before  them  ; 
though,  as  the  boats  had  not  yet  been  recovered, 
they  were  at  a  loss  to  determine  the  nature  of  the 
sports  to  which  they  had  been  invited. 

The  Rovers  still  maintained  themselves  on  the 
island.  The  rupture  between  Tim  and  Barney 
had  evidently  been  healed ;  for  both  parties  seemed 
to  mingle  as  though  nothing  had  occurred  to  mar 
their  harmonious  action. 

The  boys  at  the  boat-house  were  not  kept  long 
in  suspense  in  relation  to  their  day's  sport.  Cap 
tain  Sedley  formed  them  into  a  procession,  when 
all  had  arrived,  and,  after  appointing  Fred  Harper 
chief  marshal,  directed  them  to  march  down  to 
Rippleton,  cross  the  river,  and  halt  upon  the 
other  side  till  he  came. 

When  they  reached  the  place  they  found  Uncle 
Ben  there,  and  soon  after  were  joined  by  Captain 
Sedley  and  Mr.  Walker. 

"  Follow  us,"  said  the  former,  as  he  led  the  way 
down  to  a  little  inlet  of  the  lake,  whose  waters 
were  nearly  enclosed  by  the  land. 

"Hurrah  !"  shouted  Fred  Harper,  suddenly, 
when  he  obtained  a  view  of  the  inlet,  and  the  cry 
was  taken  up  by  the  whole  party. 

"The  fleet!  The  fleet!"  was  passed  from 
mouth  to  mouth;  and  unable  to  control  their  ex 
citement,  they  broke  their  ranks  and  ran  with  all 
their  might  down  to  the  water's  side. 

Resting  gracefully,  like  so  many  swans,  on  the 
bright  waters  of  the  inlet,  lay  five  beautiful  club 


l6o  ALL   ABOARD,   OR 

boats.  They  were  of  different  sizes,  and  fore  and 
aft  floated  their  flags  to  the  gentle  breeze. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  the  wild  delight 
of  the  boys  when  they  beheld  the  splendid  boats. 
The  bright  vision  of  a  fleet,  which  they  had  so 
cheerfully  abandoned  to  be  enabled  to  do  a  good 
and  generous  deed,  was  realized.  Here  was  the 
fleet,  far  surpassing  in  grandeur  their  most  mag 
nificent  ideal. 

Five  boats  !  And  the  Zephyr  and  the  Butterfly 
would  make  seven  ! 

"You  have  done  this!"  exclaimed  Frank,  as 
Mr.  Walker  approached. 

"  Your  father  and  I  together  did  it.  Now,  boys, 
if  you  will  form  a  ring  we  will  explain." 

"  Three  cheers  for  Mr.  Walker  first, "  suggested 
Tony. 

They  were  given,  and  three  more  for  Captain 
Sedley. 

"  My  lads,  I  heard  all  about  your  giving  up  the 
fleet  to  help  Mr.  Munroe  out  of  trouble.  It  was 
noble — heroic,  and  I  have  since  taken  pains  to 
inform  myself  as  to  the  manner  in  which  you  con 
ducted  yourself  after  the  brave  sacrifice.  As  far 
as  I  can  learn,  not  a  regret  has  been  expressed  at 
the  mode  in  which  your  money  was  applied. 
Here  is  your  reward,"  and  he  pointed  to  the 
boats.  "They  are  the  gift  of  Captain  Sedley  and 
myself.  I  am  sorry  that  these  Rovers  have  taken 
your  other  boats  ;  but  it  enables  us  to  observe 
the  difference  between  good  boys  and  bad  boys. 
Nay,  Master  Hardy,  you  need  not  blush  ;  for, 
though  you  have  erred,  you  have  behaved  hero 
ically  ;  you  risked  your  life  to  escape  from  them ; 
y««  are  forgiren," 


LIFE  ON  THE   LAK1.  l6l 

This  speech  was  received  with  shouts  of  ap 
plause,  and  Charles  Hardy  stepped  forward  with 
tears  in  his  eyes  to  thank  the  kind  gentleman  for 
his  generosity  towards  him. 

"Now,  boys,"  said  Captain  Sedley,  "we  are 
going  to  recover  the  lost  boats." 

"  Hurrah  !  "  shouted  all  the  boys. 

"Two  of  these  boats,  you  perceive,  carry 
twelve  oars  each.  The  crew  of  the  Zephyr  will 
man  the  Bluebird." 

The  Zephyrs  obeyed  the  order. 

"The  crew  of  the  Butterfly  will  man  the  Rain 
bow,"  continued  Captain  Sedley. 

The  Butterflies  seated  themselves  in  the  new 
boat. 

"This  is  merely  a  temporary  arrangement,  and 
when  we  get  the  other  boats,  we  shall  organize 
anew.  We  want  practised  oarsmen  for  our  pres 
ent  service.  While  we  are  absent,  Uncle  Ben 
will  instruct  the  rest  of  the  boys  in  rowing. 

Captain  Sedley  and  Mr.  Walker  then  seated 
themselves  in  the  stern  sheets  of  the  Bluebird. 

"Now  pull  for  Center  Island,"  said  the  former. 
"Tony,  you  will  follow  us." 

The  two  boats  darted  out  of  the  inlet,  leaving 
Uncle  Ben  in  charge  of  the  "recruits." 

The  Lily  and  the  Dart  were  eight-oar  boats, 
while  the  Dip  carried  only  four,  and  was  designed 
as  a  "  tender"  for  the  fleet.  Uncle  Ben  assigned 
places  to  the  boys,  though  there  were  about  thirty 
left  after  the  oars  were  all  manned.  After  an 
hour's  drilling,  he  got  the  crews  so  they  could 
work  together,  and  the  boats  were  then  employed 
in  conveying  the  rest  of  the  party  over  to  the  boat- 
house.  The  others  in  their  turn  were  instructed- 
II 


l6«  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

and  before  noon  Uncle  Ben  had  rendered  them 
tolerably  proficient  in  the  art  of  rowing. 

When  the  Bluebird  reached  Center  Island,  Tim 
had  just  embarked  in  the  Butterfly,  and  Barney 
was  preparing  to  do  the  same  in  the  Zephyr.  The 
Rovers  were  utterly  confounded  at  this  unex 
pected  invasion  of  their  domain,  and  hastily  re 
treated  from  the  beach. 

William  Bright,  who  was  the  coxswain  of  the 
Bluebird,  ran  her  alongside  the  Zephyr,  and  took 
her  in  tow.  In  like  manner  they  took  possession 
of  the  Sylph  and  the  "gondola,"  leaving  the 
Rovers  "  alone  in  their  glory,"  with  no  means  of 
escaping  from  the  island.  With  the  three  boats 
in  tow,  they  pulled  for  the  beach. 

"  Now  for  the  Butterfly,"  said  Captain  Sedley, 
as  he  placed  the  Sylph  in  charge  of  Uncle  Ben, 
and  directed  William  Bright  to  steer  up  the  lake. 

Away  dashed  the  Bluebird.  The  excited  crew 
had  observed  the  Butterfly  about  a  mile  off,  pull 
ing  towards  the  river.  Tim  Bunker,  at  this  safe 
distance,  had  paused  to  observe  the  movements 
of  the  invaders.  He  was  as  much  confounded  as 
Barney  had  been,  and  seemed  to  be  at  a  loss 
what  to  do  ;  but  when  he  saw  the  Bluebird  headed 
towards  him,  he  ordered  his  crew  to  pull  for  the 
river. 

"Steady,  boys,"  said  Captain  Sedley,  when 
they  had  approached  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of 
the  chase.  "Probably  they  will  run  her  ashore 
and  leave  her." 

But  Tim  did  not  mean  to  do  anything  of  the 
kind,  and  was  running  the  Butterfly  directly  for 
the  river. 

"They  wiii  dash  her  in  pieces,  I  fear,"  con- 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  163 

tinued  the  director,  when  he  perceived  Tim's  in 
tention.  "Pull  slowly — put  her  about,  and  per 
haps  they  will  return." 

The  Bluebird  came  round  ;  but  Tim  dashed 
madly  on,  heedless  of  the  rocks. 

"She  strikes  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Walker. 

"  Round  again — quick  !  "  added  Captain  Sedley. 
"They  will  all  be  drowned!  She  fills!  There 
they  go !  " 

The  Butterfly  had  stove  a  hole  in  her  bow  ;  in 
an  instant  she  was  filled  with  water,  'and,  careen 
ing  over,  threw  her  crew  into  the  lake,  where 
they  were  struggling  for  life. 

"Your  boat  is  stove,  Tony,"  said  Captain  Sed 
ley  to  the  coxswain  of  the  Butterfly,  who  had  ex 
changed  places  with  Fred  Harper,  for  the  chase. 

"Never  mind  the  boat  ;  save  the  boys  !  "  re 
plied  Tony. 

"Bravo!    my   little   hero!"    exclaimed    Mr. 
Walker. 

In  a  few  moments  the  Bluebird  reached  the 
scene  of  the  disaster.  The  Butterfly  was  so  light 
that  she  did  not  sink  ;  and  most  of  the  Rovers 
were  supporting  themselves  by  holding  on  at  her 
gunwale.  Tim  and  two  or  three  more  had  swum 
ashore,  and  one  would  have  been  drowned,  if 
assistance  had  not  reached  him  when  it  did. 

The  discomfited  Rovers  were  rescued  from  their 
perilous  situation,  and  after  a  severe  reprimand, 
were  landed  at  the  nearest  shore.  Tim  made  his 
escape;  but  probably  none  of  them  have  since 
felt  any  inclination  to  imitate  the  freebooters. 

The  Butterfly  was  to  wed  down  to  her  house,  and 
taken  out  of  the  water.  It  was  found  that  two  of 
her  planks  had  been  stove,  and  that  the  damage 


164  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

could  be  easily  repaired.  Mr.  Walker  proposed 
sending  to  Boston  for  a  boat-builder  ;  but  Captain 
Sedley  was  sure  that  Uncle  Ben,  with  the  assist 
ance  of  the  wheelwright,  could  repair  her  quite  as 
well. 

The  Bluebird  then  returned  to  the  beach,  and 
the  boys  were  dismissed  till  three  o'clock.  The 
situation  of  the  Rovers  on  the  island  was  next 
discussed  by  Captain  Sedley  and  Mr.  Walker,  and 
it  was  decided  that,  as  Tim  had  escaped,  it  was 
not  expedient  to  punish  his  companions,  who 
were  less  guilty.  So  Uncle  Ben,  with  Frank  and 
Tony,  was  sent  off  to  bring  them  ashore.  Bar 
ney  and  his  band  were  glad  enough  to  get  off. 
They  freely  acknowledged  that  they  had  had 
enough  of  "camping  out."  It  was  not  what 
they  anticipated.  Nearly  all  of  them  had  taken 
severe  colds,  and  since  the  rain  on  Monday  night, 
which  had  spoiled  their  provisions,  they  had  been 
nearly  starved.  Barney  declared  that  they  meant 
to  return  the  boats  that  night,  and  if  Captain 
Sedley  would  "  let  them  off"  this  time,  they  would 
never  do  such  a  thing  again.  Like  Charles,  they 
had  been  punished  enough,  and  with  some  good 
advice  they  were  permitted  to  depart.  How 
they  made  peace  with  their  parents  I  cannot  say  ; 
but  probably  many  of  them  "had  to  take  it." 
As  for  Tim  Bunker,  he  did  not  show  his  face  in 
Rippleton  again,  but  made  his  way  to  Boston, 
where  he  shipped  in  a  vessel  bound  for  the  East 
Indies  ;  and  everybody  in  town  was  glad  to  get 
rid  of  him. 

Thus  ended  the  famous  "  camping  out"  of  the 
Rovers.  It  was  a  very  pleasant  and  romantic 
thing  to  think  about ;  but  the  reality  was  sufficient 


LIFE  ON  THE   LAKE.  165 

t*  effect  a  radical  cure,  and  convince  them  that 
'•  yellow-covered  books  "  did  not  tell  the  truth. 

At  three  o'clock  the  boys  reassembled,  and  the 
crews  were  organized  and  officers  selected.  By 
a  unanimous  vote,  Frank  Sedley  was  chosen 
commodore  of  the  fleet.  The  next  morning  the 
Butterfly  was  repaired,  and  the  squadron  made 
its  first  voyage  round  the  lake. 

But  as  the  rest  of  the  week  was  occupied  in 
drilling,  and  the  maneuvers  were  necessarily 
imperfect,  I  pass  over  the  time  till  the  August 
vacation,  when  the  fleet  made  a  grand  excursion 
up  Rippleton  River. 


1 66  ALL  ABOAKU,  OR 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  FLEET. 

THE  school  year  was  ended  ;  and  it  was  re 
marked  that  the  school  had  never  been  in  a  more 
flourishing-  condition.  The  boys,  stimulated  by 
the  boat  organizations,  had  made  remarkable 
progress,  and  parents  and  committee  sympathized 
with  them  in  the  pleasant  anticipations  of  the 
coining  vacation. 

Since  his  defection  in  June,  the  conduct  of 
Charles  Hardy  had  been  in  the  highest  degree 
satisfactory.  His  character  seemed  to  be  radically 
changed.  He  did  not  "put  on  ai^s,"  nor  aspire 
to  high  places.  His  pride  had  been  lowered,  and 
he  was  modest  and  gentle  ;  therefore  my  young 
friends  will  not  be  surprised  to  learn  that  his  as 
sociates  had  rewarded  his  endeavors  to  do  well 
by  electing  him  coxswain  of  the  Zephyr. 

On  the  morning  of  the  day  appointed  for  the 
grand  excursion,  the  squadron,  as  it  formed  in 
line  opposite  Captain  Sedley's  house,  consisted  of 
the  following  boats,  manned  and  commanded  as 
below  : — 

Zephyr,     1 2  oars,  (bearing  the  broad  pennant  of 
Commodore  Sedley.)  .     .     Charles  Hardy. 
Butterfly,  12  oars,     ....     Paul  Munroei 
.  Bluebird,   12   "    .     .     ?    t     f     Fred  Harper. 


LIFE   ON  THE  LAKB.  167 

Rainbow,  12   " William  Bright 

Lily,  8   " Henry  Brown. 

Dart,  8   " Dick  Chester. 

Dip,  4   "(tender,).     .  Tony  Weston. 

My  young  readers  need  not  be  indignant  at 
anding  so  brave  and  skilful  an  officer  as  Tony 
Weston  in  command  of  the  little  Dip,  deeming  it 
an  insignificant  position  for  him  to  occupy  ;  for 
the  tender  was  to  be  detailed  on  special  duty,  and 
the  appointment  was  a  marked  compliment  to 
his  skill  and  judgment. 

The  system  of  signals  established  for  the  use 
of  the  fleet  was  very  simple,  and  consisted  of 
plain  flags  of  red,  white,  blue,  yellow,  green, 
orange,  and  purple,  each  color  being  a  distinct 
order.  The  discipline  of  the  fleet  was  of  a  mon 
grel  character,  composed  of  naval  and  military 
tactics..  When  the  squadron  sailed  in  compact 
or< Ic-",  verbal  commands  were  given  ;  and  when 
>nts  were  too  far  apart  for  the  word  to  be 
heard,  signals  were  used.  But  these  details  will 
be  better  understood  as  the  squadron  proceeds  on 
its  voyage. 

The  boats  were  ranged  in  line,  side  by  side, 
with  the  Zephyr  on  the  right,  the  Butterfly  on  the 
left,  and  the  Dip  in  the  middle,  each  \vith  its  gay 
flags  floating  to  the  breeze.  All  the  oars  were 
in-board,  and  the  clubs  were  waiting  for  the 
commodore's  orders. 

On  board  the  Zephyr,  a  longer  staff  than  she 
had  formerly  used  was  erected,  on  which,  half 
way  up,  was  placed  her  fly,  and  at  the  top  the 
broad  pennant — of  blue,  covered  with  silver 
stars.  On  this  pole  the  signals  were  hoisted, 


1 68  ALL  ABOARD,   OK 

when  the   pennant  had  to  be   lowered  for  the 

time. 

All  eyes  were  directed  to  the  commodore,  who 
was  standing  up  in  the  stern  sheets  of  the  flag  boat. 

"  Ready  ! ''  said  he,  in  a  voice  loud  enough  to 
be  heard  the  whole  length  of  the  line  ;  and  every 
boy  grasped  his  oar. 

"Up!" 

It  was  a  beautiful  sight  to  observe  the  precision 
with  which  the  oars  were  erected.  A  company 
of  soldiers  could  not  have  handled  their  muskets 
with  more  unanimity. 

"  Down  !  "  and  in  like  manner  the  oars  dropped 
into  the  water. 

Those  who  have  observed  the  manner  in  which 
a  military  officer  gives  his  orders  have  discovered 
the  secret  of  this  pleasing  concord  of  action. 
Commands  consist,  except  in  a  series,  of  two 
words;  and  dwelling  for  an  instant  on  the  first 
keeps  all  in  a  state  of  readiness  to  act  the  instant 
the  second  is  given.  Frank  had  studied  the 
matter  while  witnessing  the  evolutions  of  the 
Rippleton  Guards,  and  he  had  adopted  the  plan 
in  the  club.  When  the  captain  said  "shoulder," 
the  men  knew  what  was  coming ;  and  at  the 
word  "  arms,"  the  evolution  was  performed.  So 
with  "  present — arms  !  "  "file — right !  "  "  left — 
wheel !  "  etc.  ;  and  to  these  observations  he  was 
indebted  for  the  proficiency  of  his  club,  and  of 
the  fleet. 

"Ready — pull !  "  he  continued. 

The  stroke  was  very  slow,  and  each  coxswain 
was  obliged  to  keep  his  boat  in  line  with  the 
others,  the  flag  boat  regulating  their  speed. 

When  the  squadron  had  reached  the  upper  part 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKK.  l6$ 

of  the  lake,  the  pennant  was  dropped,  and  up 
went  a  red  flag. 

"  Cease — rowing  !  "  said  all  the  coxswains,  ex 
cept  the  Zephyr's. 

Then  the  red  flag  was  lowered,  and  a  blue  one 
was  hoisted. 

"  In  single  line,"  the  coxswain  of  the  Bluebird, 
which  was  next  to  the  Zephyr,  interpreted  the 
signal,  and  his  boat  followed  the  flag. 

The  others  came  into  the  line  in  proper  order, 
and  the  squadron  passed  entirely  round  the  lake. 

"Cease — rowing!"  exclaimed  the  coxswa^i,, 
in  concert,  as  the  red  flag  again  appeared. 

Up  went  a  green  flag,  and  the  line  was  formed  ; 
then  a  yellow,  to  form  in  sections  of  two.  In 
this  order  the  squadron  pulled  down  the  lake 
again,  to  the  widest  part,  where  various  fanciful 
evolutions  were  performed — which  it  would  be 
impossible  to  describe  on  paper.  One  of  them 
was  rowing  in  a  circle  round  the  Dip  ;  another 
was  two  circles  of  three  boats  each,  pulling  in 
opposite  directions.  Then  the  boats  were  sent 
off  in  six  different  ways,  forming  a  hexagon,  with 
the  tender  in  the  center ;  after  which  they  all 
came  together  so  that  their  stems  touched  each 
other,  in  the  shape  of  a  star. 

"  Now,  boys,  we  are  ready  for  the  voyage  up 
Rippleton  River,"  said  Commodore  Sedley.  "I 
need  not  tell  you  that  the  utmost  caution  must 
be  used.  Watch  the  flags  closely,  and  every  cox 
swain  be  very  prudent" 

"Ay,  ay!" 

"Tony  will  lead  in  the  Dip,  and  each  boat  will 
place  a  man  in  the  bow  to  look  out  for  buoys, 
which  he  will  place  over  rocks  and  shoals." 


170  ALL   ABOARD,   OR 

"Ay,  ay,"  answered  the  coxswains. 

"Now,  Tony,  you  may  go  up  and  mark  off  the 
rocks  at  the  mouth  of  the  river." 

The  little  Dip,  which  had  a  picked  crew  for  the 
occasion,  darted  away  up  the  lake,  leaving  the 
rest  of  the  fleet  to  follow. 

"Form  a  line  !  "  shouted  Frank,  and  the  boats 
backed  out  from  their  positions,  and  in  a  mo 
ment  had  obeyed  the  order. 

"Ready — pull;"  and  the  fleet  moved  slowly 
and  grandly  up  the  lake. 

The  boys  were  in  high  spirits.  There  was 
romething  inspiring  in  the  operations  of  the 
&  uadron  that  would  have  moved  a  more  steady 
mind  than  that  of  a  boy  of  twelve.  Every  mo 
ment  was  a  revelation  of  the  power  that  dwelt  in 
them,  of  the  beauty  of  order,  of  the  grace  of  har 
monious  action.  As  in  the  great  world,  a  single 
intractable  spirit  might  have  produced  a  heap  of 
confusion,  and  it  was  the  purpose  of  the  organ 
ization  to  bring  each  into  harmony  with  the 
whole. 

The  fleet  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
Tony  had  placed  buoys  on  the  dangerous  rocka 
each  side  of  the  channel,  so  that  the  boats,  by 
approaching  it  in  the  right  direction,  could  easily 
pass  through  in  safety. 

The  Dip  had  been  provided  with  a  large  num 
ber  of  these  buoys.  They  were  pieces  of  board, 
part  of  them  painted  red,  and  part  blue,  with  a 
line  and  weight  attached  to  each.  Near  the 
dangerous  rock  or  shoal  one  of  these  buoys  was 
to  be  located,  which  would  be  kept  in  place  by 
the  weight.  The  coxswains  had  written  instruc 
tions  from  the  commodore  to  keep  red  ones  oa 


LIFE   ON   THE    LAKE.  I%1 

the  starboard   side,   and  blue  on   the   port   side, 
going  up  the  river,  and  vice  versa  coming  down. 

The  Zephyr  took  position  near  the  rocks  to  see 
that  every  boat  approached  the  channel  in  the 
right  direction,  as,  if  they  did  not,  they  \vouldbe 
sure  to  strike.  By  these  extraordinary  precau 
tions,  the  fleet  passed  through  in  safety,  and 
three  stunning  cheers  announced  that  the  passage 
had  been  effected. 

"Here  we  are,  Charley,"  said  Frank,  as  the 
Zephyr  pulled  ahead  of  the  other  boats. 

"All  safe,  thanks  to  the  skill  and  prudence  of 
our  commodore,"  replied  Charles  ;  and  the  reader 
will  be  struck  with  the  modesty  of  his  language. 

"  Where  is  Tony  ?     I  don't  see  him." 

"  Round  the  bend,  I  guess  ;  but  here  are  his 
buoys  all  along." 

"Signal  man,  hoist  the  blue,"  continued  the 
commodore  ;  and  the  fleet  followed  in  single  line. 

"  Here's  the  bridge  ;  I  fancy  Tony  knows  the 
soundings  here,"  said  Charles. 

''Ay,  there  is  the  rock  on  which  Mr.  Walker's 
chaise  hung.  It  is  almost  out  of  water,  now." 

"Did  you  hear  what  Mr.  Walker  said  when 
some  one  asked  him  why  he  did  not  sue  the 
town  ? " 

' '  No  ;   what  was  it  ?  " 

"  He  said  it  was  the  luckiest  day  of  his  life 
when  he  pitched  off  the  bridge." 

"  Indeed  !  " 

"  He  has  thought  so  much  better  of  humanity 
since,  and  it  introduced  him  to  Tony  Weston, 
whom  he  calls  a  hero  in  embryo." 

"Mr.  Walker  is  a  nice  man — a  whole-souled 
man." 


1^2  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

"That  he  is  !  How  many  men  would  have 
done  for  us  what  he  did?  And  I,  in  particular, 
have  reason  to  be  grateful  to  him,"  said  Charles, 
with  a  sigh.  "  I  shall  never  forget  him  and  your 
father,  wherever  my  lot  is  cast. " 

"That  is  manly  of  you,  Charley.  But  I  am 
sure  they  have  been  abundantly  rewarded  by 
your  devotion  to  duty  -since. " 

"I  have  tried  to  do  right." 

"You  have  done  well  ;  everybody  says  so." 

"I  cannot  soon  forget  what  a  fool  I  was  to 
believe  Tim's  wicked  lies.  I  suppose  I  wanted 
to  believe  them,  or  I  should  not." 

"  It  is  a  great  pity  we  ever  let  Tim  into  the 
club  ;  but  we  meant  right  ;  we  meant  to  reform 
him,  Where  do  you  suppose  he  is  now  ?  " 

"Somewhere  near  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope." 

'•  My  father  thinks  he  has  got  enough  of  the  sea 
by  this  time." 

"  I  dare  say.  Didn't  you  ever  feel  a  desire  to 
go  to  sea,  Frank  ?  " 

"No  ;  not  lately." 

"Nor  I;  Tim  Bunker  lent  me  the  Red  Cor 
sair  of  the  Caribbean  Sea,  just  before  that  scrape, 
and  I  thought  then  that  I  should  like  to  take  a 
voyage. " 

"My  father  will  not  let  me  read  such  books  ; 
and  since  he  has  told  me  what  they  are,  and 
what  their  influence  is,  I  don't  want  to  read 
them." 

"There's  Tony,  with  the  red  flag  hoisted." 

The  red  flag  had  been  agreed  upon  as  the 
signal  to  stop  the  fleet,  when  the  navigation  was 
very  hazardous,  or  impracticable. 

"  Cease — rowing  !  "  said  Charles. 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAK4.  *?3 

Frank  ordered  his  signal  man  to  hoist  the  red 

in  the  flag  boat. 

"Can't  we  go  any  farther  than  this?  "asked 
Charles. 

"  I  don't  know  ;  we  are  not  more  than  a  mile 
above  the  bridge." 

"  Here  comes  the  Dip/' 

"Well,  Tony,  what's  the  matter?"  said  the 
commodore,  as  the  tender  approached. 

"I  haven't  found  a  clear  channel  yet.  The 
bed  of  the  river  is  covered  with  rocks,"  replied 
Tony,  as  the  Dip  came  alongside  the  Zephyr. 

"Then  we  must  call  this  the  head  of  naviga 
tion,"  added  Frank,  with  a  laugh,  though  he  was 
not  a  little  disappointed  to  find  the  cruise  up  so 
soon. 

"  Perhaps  not ;  there  is  water  enough,  but  the 
twelve-oar  boats  are  so  long  they  can  hardly 
dodge  the  rocks.  The  Lily  and  the  Dart  can  get 
through  very  well." 

"Have  you  sounded  clear  across  ? " 

"I  haven't  had  time  to  examine  very  thor 
oughly  yet.  If  you  let  the  boats  lay  off  I  will 
look  farther." 

"Very  well ;  I  will  go  with  you  in  the  Dart," 
replied  the  commodore,  as  he  ordered  up  a  white 
and  a  blue  flag,  which  was  the  signal  for  the 
Dart  to  close  up. 

The  signal  was  obeyed,  and  Frank  followed 
the  Dip.  After  half  an  hour's  search,  a  clear 
channel  was  found  close  to  the  land  ;  so  close 
that  the  oars  could  not  be  used,  and  a  party  was 
sent  on  shore  to  drag  them  through  with  ropes. 

The  line  was  formed  again,  and  the  squadron 
slowly  followed  the  Dip  as  she  examined  the 


1 74  ALL  ABOARD,   OR 

river.  For  the  next  mile  there  were  no  obetrue- 
tions. 

"Twelve  o'clock  !  "  shouted  Fred  Harper  from 
the  Bluebird. 

"Dinner  time,  then,"  replied  Frank.  "Here 
is  a  beautiful  grove,  and  we  will  land  and  dine. 
Hoist  the  orange  " — the  signal  to  laud. 


UF£  ON  THE  LAKfi.  175 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  HOSPITALITIES  OF  OAKLAWN. 

THE  boys  all  had  remarkably  good  appetites, 
and  therefore  dinner  was  no  unimportant  event 
in  the  experience  of  the  day.  Somehow,  boys 
contrive  to  be  hungry  at  almost  all  times  of  the 
day,  even  without  the  stimulus  of  pulling  three 
hours  at  an  oar.  There  was  something,  too,  in 
the  circumstance  of  dining  in  a  beautiful  grove, 
on  the  bank  of  the  river,  with  their  boats  floating 
near  them,  which  rendered  the  occasion  pecul 
iarly  pleasant — which  made  their  cold  meat, 
doughnuts,  and  apple  pie  taste  much  better  than 
usual. 

But  the  adventure  was  not  yet  completed. 
The  head  waters  of  navigation  had  not  been 
reached,  and  their  love  of  exploring  did  not  per 
mit  them  to  spend  any  unnecessary  time  over 
the  meal.  Tony  and  his  oarsmen  had  reported 
themselves  at  the  grove,  and  after  "  bolting'* 
their  dinner,  had  resumed  their  occupation  ;  and 
the  boys  perceived  the  Dip  half  a  mile  up  the 
river  before  they  were  ready  to  start. 

"All  aboard!"  said  Frank;  and  the  crews, 
hastily  gathering  up  their  tin  pails,  and  their 
baskets,  tumbled  into  the  boats. 

The  Zephyr  led  off,  followed  by  the  other  bouts 
of  the 


1/6  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

"I  see  no  buoys  ahead,"  said  Frank,  after  they 
had  advanced  some  distance.  "The  navigation 
must  be  unobstructed." 

"It  looks  like  deep  water,"  answered  Charles. 

"And  Tony's  crew  are  pulling  very  hard; 
they  are  going  faster  than  we  do." 

"  He  is  trying  to  gain  time  against  he  reaches 
a  bad  place.  There  he  goes  round  the  bend. 
Were  you  ever  up  here  before,  Frank?  " 

"I  have  been  to  Oaklawn,  which  is  about  four 
miles  from  Rippleton.  Of  course  I  never  came 
up  the  river." 

•'  Wouldn't  it  be  fine  if  we  could  get  up  to  Oak- 
lawn  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  we  can." 

"This  is  smooth  work,"  continued  Frank. 
"  Can't  we  give  a  little  variety  to  the  excursion  ? " 

"  What  ?  " 

"  Hoist  the  yellow,  signalman, "  replied  the  com 
modore.  "We  will  pull  a  while  in  sections  of  two, 
and  sing  some  songs." 

Obedient  to  the  signal,  the  boats  of  the  fleet 
came  into  the  order  prescribed,  and  the  boys 
waked  up  the  hills  and  the  woods  with  the  earn 
estness  of  their  song.  It  was  a  beautiful  and 
cheering  sight  to  see  them  gliding  over  the  clear 
waters,  while  their  voices  mingled  with  those  of 
the  songsters  which  nature  had  given  to  the  hill 
side  and  the  forest.  Their  hearts  were  glad, 
and  in  beautiful  unison  with  the  scene  around 
them. 

"  Rapids  1 "  exclaimed  Frank,  when  the  boat 
reached  the  bend.  "Up  with  the  blue  1 " 

"  Steady  I  "  added  Charles.      ' '  Pull  slowly. " 

"Tony  has  been  very  busy,"  continued  Frank, 


LIPfe  ON  THE  LAKJL  tft 

pointing  to  the  buoys,  that  speckled  the  waters. 
I  am  afraid  the  cruise  is  about  up." 

"  Tony  has  passed  the  rapids.  You  know 
steamboats  go  down  the  rapids  on  the  SL  Law 
rence  River." 

"Ah,  there  is  Oaklawn,"  said  Frank,  pointing 
to  the  spire  of  a  church  in  the  distance.  "We 
cannot  go  much  farther,  I  know." 

"  We  have  made  nearly  four  miles." 

What  the  commodore  had  styled  "rapids" 
were  not  a  very  formidable  difficulty.  Near  one 
bank  was  a  ledge  of  rocks,  over  which  the  waters 
dashed  with  considerable  energy  ;  but  though 
there  was  the  same  descent  on  the  other  side,  no 
obstruction  appeared  to  check  them  from  attempt 
ing  the  passage.  Tony  had  accomplished  it,  and 
had  left  no  warning  to  deter  them. 

"Shall  we  go  through,  Frank?" 

"Ay;  bend  on  sharp,  and  she  will  leap  up 
like  a  fawn.  Now  for  it  !  " 

The  Zephyrs  applied  all  their  strength  to  the 
oars,  and  the  boat  darted  up  the  rapids  with  no 
other  detriment  than  taking  in  two  or  three  pail- 
fuls  of  water. 

The  rest  of  the  fleet  followed,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  the  Lily,  without  accident ;  and  she,  not 
having  sufficient  headway,  was  carried  down 
again.  By  the  skill  of  her  coxswain,  however, 
she  was  saved  from  damage,  and  her  second 
attempt  was  successful. 

The  navigation  was  again  tolerably  safe,  and 
for  half  a  mile  they  proceeded  on  their  way  with 
out  interruption. 

"There's   a    bridge,"   said    Charles,    pointing 
ahead. 
ia 


IJfS  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

"And  there  is  the  Dip,  with  the  red  hoisted 
Tony  seems  to  have  given  it  up.  He  has  made 
fast  to  the  bridge." 

On  the  shore  was  a  crowd  of  men  and  boys, 
who  were  holding  a  parley  with  the  pilot  of  the 
expedition  ;  but  when  they  saw  the  squadron  ap 
proaching  they  seemed  petrified  with  astonish 
ment.  The  boys  thrust  their  hands  deep  in  their 
trousers'  pockets,  and  with  mouths  wide  open 
stared  in  speechless  wonder.  The  arrival  of 
Columbus  on  the  shores  of  the  new  world  could 
not  have  been  more  astounding  to  the  natives 
than  was  the  coming  of  the  Wood  Lake  squadron 
to  the  boys  of  Oaklawn. 

' '  Sheer  off,  Charley,  to  the  port  side  of  the  river, 
and  we  will  come  into  line.  The  river  is  wide 
enough  here,  I  believe.  Up  with  the  green  !  " 

On  dashed  the  boats  in  the  rear  till  they  came 
into  the  line.  The  river  widened  into  a  kind  of 
pond ;  but  the  line  stretched  clear  across  it — • 
making  a  very  imposing  appearance. 

"Slowly  ;  cease — rowing  !  "  continued  Frank. 
"Ready — up  I  "  and  the  sixty-eight  oars  of  the 
fleet  glittered  in  the  sunshine  before  the  aston, 
ished  Oaklawners,  who  were  gathered  in  great 
numbers  on  the  shore  and  bridge. 

"Well,  Tony,  the  cruise  is  up,"  said  Frank, 
when  the  Dip  came  into  line. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  pilot,  pointing  under  the 
bridge,  where  the  river  dashed  its  foaming  waters 
down  a  long  reach  of  half-exposed  rocks.  "We 
can't  get  over  those." 

"No;  and  we  may  as  well  land  and  take  a 
look  at  Oaklawn.  Hoist  the  orange.  Ready- 
down  J  *: 


N  THE  LAKB.  179 

Each  boat  landed  its  crew  at  a  convenient 
place,  and  they  were  then  marshaled  into  a  pro 
cession.  They  were  formed  in  sections  of  four, 
each  crew  preceded  by  its  coxswain,  with  one  of 
the  flags  on  each  side  of  him.  The  commodore 
marched  at  the  head  of  the  company,  and  in  this 
order  they  proceeded  through  the  prncipal  street 
of  the  village.  Of  course  their  appearance  excited 
a  great  deal  of  wonder,  and  not  a  little  admira 
tion.  Several  of  the  principal  citizens,  unwilling 
that  their  guests  should  depart  unwelcomed,  got 
up  an  impromptu  reception,  and  the  clubs  were 
invited  to  the  Town  Hall,  where  some  very 
pretty  speeches  were  made  by  the  chairman  of 
the  Selectmen,  of  the  School  Committee,  the  rep 
resentative  to  the  General  Court,  and  other  dis 
tinguished  individuals;  to  whom  the  commodore 
replied  with  a  great  deal  of  dignity  and  self- 
possession. 

While  the  speeches  were  proceeding,  the  ladies 
were  not  idle  ;  and  the  boys  were  next  invited 
to  a  collation  on  the  green  ;  after  which  they 
marched  back  to  the  river  and  re-embarked. 
Three  times  three  cheers  were  given  for  the  people 
of  Oaklavvn,  and  the  word  was  given  to  pull  for 
home. 

The  boys  of  the  village  were  not  so  ready  to 
part  with  them,  and  some  twenty  of  them  followed 
the  boats,  on  the  bank  of  the  river. 

"I  say,  Frank,  these  folks  were  very  kind  to 
vis,"  Charles  remarked. 

"They  were,  indeed." 

"And  the  boys  seem  to  enjoy  it." 

"  I  suppose  not  many  of  them  ever  saw  our 
boats  before," 


180  ALL  ABOARD,  OR 

"  Suppose  we  take  them  in  ;  they  will  be  very 
willing  to  walk  home,  say  from  the  grove  where 
we  dined,  for  the  sake  of  the  sail." 

"Good!  I  didn't  think  of  that  before.  Up 
with  the  orange  !  " 

The  boats  landed,  and  the  astonished  Oaklawn 
boys  were  distributed  among  them.  They  seemed 
to  regard  the  favor  as  an  unexpected  condescen 
sion,  and  their  delight  knew  no  bounds.  As 
Little  Paul  expressed  it,  "  they  were  tickled  half 
to  death " ;  and  when  they  reached  the  grove 
it  was  a  sad  and  bitter  disappointment  for  them 
to  get  out  and  go  home. 

"I  was  thinking  of  something,"  said  Charles, 
a  little  while  after  they  had  landed  their  passen 
gers. 

"What  was  it,  Charley  ?  "  replied  the  commo 
dore. 

"That  we  might  invite  the  boys  of  Oaklawn 
to  spend  a  day  with  us  on  the  lake." 

"Capital!" 

"We  could  give  them  a  picnic  on  Center 
Island. " 

"  We  will  do  it ;  and  now  that  we  know  the 
river  we  can  easily  come  up  as  far  as  the  grore 
after  them." 

"Or  up  to  the  rapids  ;  there  is  no  danger  this 
side  of  them." 

This  plan  was  discussed  in  all  its  details,  and 
everything  was  agreed  upon  by  the  time  they 
reached  the  lake.  The  passage  down  the  river 
had  been  much  quicker  than  the  upward  trip,  and 
before  sunset  the  boats  were  all  housed,  and  th«^ 
clubs  had  separated. 

Oa  the  following  week  the  courtesies  of  the 


LIFE  ON   THE   LAKE.  l8l' 

club  were  extended  to  the  boys  of  Oaklawn,  as 
arranged  by  the  commodore,  and  a  very  fine 
time  they  had  of  it.  Their  guests,  numbering 
over  forty,  were  entertained  in  every  conceivable 
manner — the  day's  sports  concluding  with  a 
grand  race,  in  which  all  the  boats  were  entered, 
and  in  which  the  Butterfly  won  the  honors. 

A  new  program  was  made  up  every  week 
during  the  vacation.  Lighthouses  were  built, 
channels  surveyed,  shores  charted  ;  indeed,  every 
thing  which  the  ingenuity  of  the  boys  could 
devise  was  brought  forward  to  add  fresh  interest 
to  the  sports  of  the  lake. 

And  thus  the  season  passed  away,  and  winter 
came  again.  The  fleet  was  laid  up,  and  the  use 
ful  and  pleasant  recreations  of  the  club  rooms 
were  substituted  for  the  active  excitement  of 
boating.  Lectures  were  given,  essays  were  read, 
debates  held,  ever  week ;  and  the  progress  of 
the  boys  out  of  s  .  ool,  as  well  as  within,  was 
highly  satisfactory  &  all  concerned. 


l8a  ALL  ABOAiD,  Oft 


CHAPTER  XXL 

CONCLUSION. 

I  SUPPOSE,  as  the  present  volume  completes  the 
history  of  the  Boat  Club,  that  my  young  readers 
will  wish  to  know  something  of  the  subsequent 
fortunes  of  the  prominent  characters  of  the  asso 
ciation.  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  say  that  not  one 
of  them  has  been  recreant  to  his  opportunities,  or 
abandoned  his  high  standard  of  character  ;  that 
the  moral,  mental,  and  physical  discipline  of  the 
organization  has  proved  salutary  in  the  highest 
degree.  The  members  of  the  boat  clubs  are  now 
active  members  of  society.  Each  is  pulling  an 
oar,  or  steering  his  bark,  on  the  great  ocean  of 
life.  Some  are  in  humble  spheres,  as  in  the 
little  Dip  ;  others  are  in  more  extended  fields,  as 
in  the  majestic  twelve-oar  boats. 

Frank  Sedley  is  a  lawyer.  His  father  has  gone 
to  enjoy  his  reward  in  the  world  beyond  the 
grave;  and  Frank,  who  was  married  a  year  ago 
to  Mary  Weston,  resides  in  the  mansion  by  the 
lake.  His  brilliant  talents  and  unspotted  integ 
rity  have  elevated  him  to  a  respectable  position, 
for  one  so  young,  in  the  legal  profession  ;  and 
there  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  will  arrive  at 
eminence  in  due  time. 

Uncle  Ben  is  still  alive,  and  continues  to  dwell 
at  the  mansion  of  the  Sedleys,  The  boats  are 


LIFE  ON  THE  LAKE.  I8J 

still  in  being,  and  are  manned  by  the  boys  be 
longing  to  the  school — under  the  direction  of  the 
veteran. 

Tony  Weston  is  a  merchant.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  he  was  taken  into  the  counting-room 
of  Mr.  Walker,  and  at  twenty-one  admitted  as  an 
equal  partner.  The  man  is  what  the  boy  was — 
noble,  generous,  kind. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  only  one  boy  of  the 
whole  number" has  become  a  sailor.  Fred  Harper 
went  to  sea  when  he  left  school,  and  was  recently 
appointed  master  of  a  fine  clipper  ship,  bound  for 
India.  Little  Paul  is  a  journeyman  carpenter. 
He  is  in  a  humble  sphere,  but  none  the  less 
respected  on  that  account.  His  father,  who  re 
covered  his  health,  paid  the  notes  he  had  made 
to  the  clubs.  The  money  was  applied  to  the 
purchase  of  books  and  a  philosophical  apparatus, 
which  rendered  the  winter  evenings  of  the  clubs 
still  more  attractive. 

'Squire  Chase  "  worked  out  nis  destiny  "  in  Rip- 
pleton,  and  finally  was  so  thoroughly  despised 
that  he  found  it  convenient  to  leave  the  place. 
Perhaps  my  readers  will  be  a  little  surprised 
when  I  tell  them  that  Charles  Hardy  is  a  minister 
of  the  gospel.  He  was  recently  settled  in  a 
small  town  in  Connecticut.  The  boat  club 
changed  his  character, — purged  it  of  the  evil  and 
confirmed  the  good, — and  he  is  now  a  humble 
and  devoted  laborer  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Master. 

Wood  Lake  is  still  beautiful,  and  the  remem 
brances  of  former  days  are  still  lovingly  cherished 
by  Frank  and  Tony,  who  reside  on  its  banks. 
The  Zephyr  and  Butterfly,  though  somewhat 
battered  and  worm-eaten,  are  occasionally  seen, 


ALL  ABOARD, 

near  the  close  of  the  day,  with  a  lady  and  g cntle- 
man  in  the  stern  sheets  of  each.  The  youthful 
crews  are  happier  than  usual,  for  one  bears  the 
ex-commodore  and  lady,  and  the  other  the  hero 
of  Rippleton  Bridge  and  his  lady. 


THX  END. 


WHAT  WOULD  JESUS  DO? 


Tn  Ri$  Steps 


THE  MOST  POPULAR 
BOOK  OF  THE    CENTURY. 


Everybody  Should  Read  This  Book 

274  PAGES....NEW  TYPE, 


Supplied  by  oil  Booksellers  or  sent  post-paid  upon  receipt  of  t8a 

Donohue  Brothers, 

407-429  Dearborn  Street  :    :    :    :   CHICAGO. 


L  moody 


THE  GREAT  EVANGELIST  OP 
THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY. 


LAST  SCENES.... 

GENEROUS  TRIBUTES 


WITH  COPIOUS  SELECTIONS  PROM 
HIS  IMPRESSIVE  UTTERANCES. 


320  pages,  Silk  Cloth  Binding     ....   $1.©0 
Paper  Covers .5® 

Supplied  by  afl  BeokseHers  or  teat  post-paid  by 

Donohue  Brothers, 

407-429  Dearborn  Street    :    :    :  : 


Series  of 

FOR  BOYS. 

By  BRACEBRIDGE  HEMING, 

Bound  la  Linen  Cloth,  In*  Back  and 
Side  Stamp. 

Mo*  76* 

I    Jack  Harka way's  School  Days.. 

9  Jack  Harkaway  After  School  Bay* 

3  Jade  Harkaway  Afloat  and  Asbwe. 

4  Jack  itarkaway  at  Oxford,  Part  I. 
8  Jack  Harhaway  at  Oxford,  Part  9. 

O  Jac*  Haricaway  Among  the  Briga04&»  P«rt  ju 

7  Jade  Harkaway  Among  the  Brigands,  Part  a. 

8  Jack  Harka way's  Adveateres  Around  tba  WofMb 

9  Jack  Harkaway  In  Americ*  and  Cuba, 
to  Jack  Harkavray 's  Ad venteres  la  China, 

11  Jack  Harkarway's  Adventure*  la  dreece«  Put  t« 

12  Jack  Harkaway's  Adventures  la  Qreeoe,  Part  9* 

13  Jack  Harkaway's  Adventures  in  Australia. 

14  Jack  Harkaway  and  tils  Boy  Ticker,  Part  I. 

15  Jack  Harkaway  aod  His  Boy  Tinker,  Part  a. 

"No  more  readable  taoks  for  the  young1  hare  «rer  bees 
iAteae  fifteen  velnmes."— So«!c  find  Newsdealer* 


fof  sale  by  all  booksellers  or  sent  on  receipt  of  price  t) 


THEOLOGICAL  AND  POLITICAL  UORK5 

OF 


INQERSOLL'S  ESTIMATE  OF  PAINE'S  WORKS. 

In  my  judgment  Thomas  Paine  was  the  best  political  writer 
that  ever  lived.  What  he  wrote  was  from  nature.  He  examined 
into  the  why  and  wherefore  of  things.  He  was  perfectly  radical 
in  his  mode  of  thought.  Nothing  short  of  the  bed-rock  ever  sat 
isfied  him.  His  enthusiasm  for  what  he  believed  to  bt  right  knew 
no  bounds.  His  writings  are  gemmed  with  compact  statements 
that  carry  conviction  to  the  dullest.  Day  and  nignt  he  labored 
for  America  till  there  was  a  government  of  the  people  and  for 
the  people.  —Ingersollia,  P.  181-2. 


Cfce  Complete  UlorHs  of  tfcotims  Paine. 

Embracing  the  Theological  and  Political  works  of  this 
Sfreat  American.  A  large  12mo.  volume,  printed  from 
large,  clear  type  on  a  good  quality  of  paper,  bound  in 
binder's  silk  finished  cloth.  List  price $  1 .50 

tfce  theological  Ulorks  of  tbomas  Paine. 

Bound  in  one  volume,  cloth - 1 .00 

tl)e  Politkal  Ulorfcs  of  Cftomas  Paine. 

Bound  in  one  volume,  cloth 1  .00 

tbe  flge  of  Reason, ) 

VBY  THOMAS  PAJJST« 

tfct  Kisim  of  man,  j 

Bound  in  paper     Each .26 


The  Works  of  Thomas  Paine  should  have  a  place  in  the  Library 
of  Every  Patriot  and  Every  Liberal  Thinker. 

F«r ,?  tie  by  Booksellers  and  Newsdealers,  or  mailed  post-paid  at 
tie  above  price  to  any  part  of  the  U.  8.,  Canada  or  Mexic». 

DONOHUE  BROTHERS, 

407-429  Dearborn  Street    :   :   :   :    CHICAGO. 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

305  De  Neve  Drive  -  Parking  Lot  17  •  Box  951388 

LOS  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA  90095-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library  from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


Form  L9 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A    001  372184    o 


»  x 

0  S 


PLEASE  DO  NOT  REMOVE 
THIS  BOOK  CARD 


University  Research  Library 


£'• 


01 

iX 


r 


